An Ode to Silence
by Clarissa.Q.Mouse
Summary: Bella is deaf. After years of working to diminish her communication issues, she's moving to Forks fully intending to try living without pity stares. Meaning she's going to keep her secret as best she can. How will this change things with Bella and Edward?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Just so you people know, this is my first fanfic so reviews about what I did right and what I could improve on would be especially appreciated. Please don't feel the need to be too nice if there was a spot that you just plain hated. Be harsh so I can give you guys something you'll like better and I'll feel better about submitting. Thank you all.

**Disclaimer:** Although it would certainly be interesting to see Stephanie Meyers submitting a piece of work here, this is not it and I am not her. Nor, do I wish to be her though I admire her talent and love her books. In short: I am not Stephanie Meyer and will never claim so unless in a joking manner. Capice?

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_**An Ode to Silence**_

Silence. Everywhere I turn there is silence in my soundless world. I have never heard the twittering of birds, my parents' voices, the roar of the ocean, or anything for that matter.

I've been deaf since birth and can't imagine anything different. I'm one of the lucky ones. Why on earth would I think that, you may ask? I don't know what I've lost, or never had. It's like longing for a new dessert you've never tasted before. You can smell it, you can see others enjoying it but you yourself have never had a morsel cross your lips. It's much easier than having a taste and it being ripped away.

This is who I am and though there have been many difficulties that I wouldn't wish on another person, I couldn't be anything but grateful for the struggle. While others might consider it their in-born right to speak for themselves and raise their voice above the crowd, I had to earn it. I had to earn the right to be an 'I' and not a 'she'.

My name is Isabella Marie Swan or Bella as I prefer to be called.

When I was younger, my mother had enrolled me in a school for the deaf. Even in a community that I was supposed to belong to, my silence seemed only more pronounced and profound. I had the ability to communicate just as well as my classmates in our common language but I was still a 'she' with others speaking for me and I mistakenly hadn't seen anything wrong with it as I fell into the habit.

As I grew older, sign language was mine in every way it could be and I had no use for speech. I couldn't speak the spoken tongues well and only got frustrated with constant trying. I was a natural lip reader and content. Gradually, my views shifted and I reluctantly began going to a speech therapist again when I was ten. (I'd stopped going when I was eight.) It wasn't for months after that that I brought it home and more thoroughly into my life again.

On my thirteenth birthday however, I resolved to open a new chapter in my life since I was becoming a teenager. My speech therapy had been going well lately so I figured I was up for a challenge. No friend held a tether for me at the school for the deaf. I was going to go to a regular school and stand shoulder to shoulder with the hearing kids. I was going to make friends and just be normal.

No stories or television shows could've prepared me for the first time I walked through the doors of the school near my home though. Kids are cruel. They all shied away from me ever so slightly. At lunch, they didn't talk to me besides the first awkward introductions. At last, I thought I understood.

I made people feel bad. They didn't exactly know how to talk to me and didn't like that idea either so to make it easier on themselves. They convinced themselves that I was just another face in the crowd. Before I could do anything to stop the rift that was rapidly forming between me and the student body, I was caught in the same spot I'd been in my whole life. She said. She wants. She hopes. 'She'.

Now, I am seventeen. For the past four years, I made learning how to communicate with the hearing a way of life. I studied what I naturally had picked up with my lip reading and watched for more subtle clues to tell similar words apart. I practiced speaking familiar words and newer words I read in my books. I'd look in the mirror and make my lips form the same movements I'd gotten so used to seeing in the people I observed.

When Renee or Phil were available and willing to help, I was eager to go to them because I really couldn't tell what was wrong with my speech in the end. Though it would never be normal, it was much clearer then most deaf girls. Clear enough to pass for a person with a small speech impediment, nothing that bad at all.

Still, as I sat here in the airport beside my mother, I reminded myself of all the reasons I was exiling myself to Forks. I abhorred Forks. It was covered in almost constant cloud cover and that meant rain, lots of it. Phoenix was the place I loved with the sun, blue skies, and the large city, the polar opposite of tiny Forks where the clouds never gave room to breathe.

My main reason was to let my mother move around with Phil so she could be happy but as I thought back to my original purpose for working feverishly on my speech, I realized how much I longed for a fresh start. A start where there were no pretenses of being deaf as there was at school in Phoenix. I wanted… to be an 'I', for people to not know that I was deaf, as impossible as that seemed.

In the end, I may just end up getting written off as rude because I won't be able to answer them if I'm not facing them and reading their lips to know what they're saying but if it gets to there, I could just tell them I'm deaf or hoof it and hope for the best. At least, it would be my turn to say what I wanted to say.

Soon enough, my mother nudged me and jarred me from my thoughts. "Your plane's boarding. Are you sure you want to go? You don't have to." she asked and signed at the same time. I took in her face that could be my reflection in a few years and swallowed. "Mom, I _want_ to. It'll be good to spend some time with Dad before I graduate," I replied in voice and in ASL.

She looked a little sad but hugged me gently and waved to me as I walked toward the gate to board.

---

When the plane landed, I stepped off and made my way into the terminal where I found Charlie waiting for me. He greeted me with a smile and a hug and after we exchanged fully vocal pleasantries. I wouldn't sign at home or anywhere else unless I was dealing with another deaf person. Despite this, my words felt hollow as they rolled off my tongue. I would miss sign language. We then set off on the hour long drive to rainy little Forks in his patrol car.

The ride was mostly silent because we couldn't talk very effectively when I couldn't read his lips and he couldn't sign while driving. It didn't work. Instead, I just looked out the window and tried to familiarize myself with my surroundings.

The one major thing I caught was that it was too _green_. An alien world without the sun or sky where it constantly rained. Yes, I was still focusing on that fact but I had bid my farewell to the sun back in Phoenix so I shouldn't be expecting an appearance.

When we arrived at the house, I took note of the faded red truck in the driveway with a bulbous cap and big rounded fenders. I loved it. I very nearly envied whoever owned it. "Whose truck is that?" I asked cautiously before turning to face Charlie for his response.

His expression was embarrassed and I didn't have time to wonder why when he spoke. "Yours. I kind of bought it for you as a homecoming gift from Billy Black; he used to go fishing with us during the summer. He's in a wheelchair so he offered to sell it to me cheap." Wow. At least it doesn't belong to a girlfriend.

I mumbled my thanks awkwardly but sincerely, succeeding in embarrassing Charlie further before retreating to my room to unpack. And to cry. I think he understood that I would need time though this was supposedly my choice. Even if he didn't, he wasn't the type to hover so we would get along well. I didn't want anyone to fuss over me.

My room was the same as it always had been with only two changes to it since the time I was a baby. He changed out a crib for a bed and added a computer, per Mom's request so we could keep in contact easier. The computer wasn't the fastest thing on earth, but it would do its job well enough and keep Mom from going ballistic and taking me back to Phoenix. If she wanted to be with Phil, (which she did) I would do what I could to make that possible.

I skipped dinner that night and just went to bed. For a while, I watched the rain fall in sheets against the window and I could see the wind blowing mercilessly against it, a thoroughly unfamiliar sight filled with my newfound feelings of homesickness.

I wondered what that sounded like since I'd seen people describe the wind like it is howling or whistling but I didn't know what that sounded like either. There was nothing to compare it to that would make sense in my eyes. There was nothing to give me an idea of what it was like to hear but I never questioned my lot in life. I only strove to make it work for me.

Unfortunately for my nerves, the school had a grand and frightening total of three hundred and fifty-eight students now. I couldn't hide in the masses because of well… the lack of masses and plus, everyone here had had their parents grow up together but it couldn't be as bad as my mind was making it out to be.

Since this was a small town new kids were quite possibly considered the eighth wonder of their world for a while, I had more time than normal to find my niche before the rift formed. That didn't mean that I would be entirely comfortable for all that time until I found my place though. Still, it would a fresh start. That's it, Bella. You can do this.

Powered by my optimistic thoughts, I sat up in bed and rifled through my stuff for my alarm clock and bed vibrator. I carefully set the time so it would go off in the AM and made sure it had the flashing lights option on. In the morning, lights would flash and my bed would vibrate and I wouldn't be able to sleep. I'd tried to sleep through it once, but it was not pleasant.

Smiling to myself, I curled up and closed my weary eyes against the dark. Within minutes, I was fast asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** You guys made me happy. I woke up this morning to check up on my little story and went, "Oh my Carlisle! Me, being easily pleased, got all giddy. More reviews make my fingers type faster. Here's chapter two!

**Disclaimer:** I am not Stephanie Meyers. I own nothing.

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_**An Ode to Silence**_

I awoke to the unfamiliar sight of my bedroom in Forks. The scene which had been unpolluted in my memory was filled with the flashing lights belonging to my alarm clock as my bed vibrated beneath me. I'd tried some other interesting tactics to wake me from my slumber but this proved to be the only way that really worked consistently.

Carefully, I slung my legs over the side of my bed and stumbled over to turn off my alarm clock. When my hand came down on the little machine, my room knew peace once more but I blinked a few more times for the sake of my eyes. _Welcome to your new life, Bella Swan._

I peeked out the window through the yellow curtains and expected to see the lovely blue sky and sun over the sprawling city of Phoenix, my home but my heart sank as I saw dark clouds and more rain. My optimistic thoughts of the night before were gone and I was still living in my own personal, rainy hell. There was no getting around that and all I could say was, "Well, darn."

Since I had no urge to be late to my first day, I trudged to my closet and picked out an outfit for the day. I honestly wasn't much for shopping or fashion so it was just plain jeans and a blue long sleeve shirt. I tucked my black raincoat under my arm made my way downstairs for a bite to eat.

Unfortunately for me, I am extraordinarily clumsy to the point where it was comical. I tripped halfway and ended up tumbling down the rest, landing with an 'oof'. It was the perfect way to start the day, falling down. Stiffly, I got to my feet and limped to the kitchen.

I rushed through my breakfast of eggs and toast and donned my new raincoat. I figured this coat would end up being my new best friend so I tried not to loathe having to wear it as I swiftly strode to my new truck. I tried my best to ignore the prickling feeling I got when I no longer felt the dry air around my feet, but boots and sloshing wet, not to mention the consistent drizzle on the hood of my raincoat.

Now, I had a new reason to like the old truck. It had a heater and it was dry. It was Charlie had cleaned it up some though it still smelled faintly of tobacco. The thought brought a smile to my face.

I wouldn't be using the radio at all but if anyone ever rode with me somewhere, at least they could use it and turn it to any station they wanted and I wouldn't care. Of course, only Renee, Charlie, or Phil would be able to make use of that since I didn't want to drive with anyone that didn't know I was deaf in the car but it didn't matter to me. I was happy.

As I started it up and drove toward the high school, I was unaware of the loud roaring sounds it was giving off. However, I couldn't help but be hyperaware of the many heads that turned my way as I parked it. The high school was nothing more then a collection of small, maroon colored buildings and I probably would've driven straight past it if it weren't for the 'Forks High' sign though it wasn't hard to spot.

I'll admit that the place put me off balance a little bit. There were no metal detectors at every door, no chain link fence, or anything to remind me that this was in fact, a school. I was glad of the shift though, because some part of me thought it would be weird that I might be accepted in a place that had any similarity to where I'd been before.

When I walked inside the office, the woman at the desk, Ms. Cope according to the sign, greeted me with a friendly smile. "My name is Isabella Swan. I'm new," I said while shifting on my feet. "Oh! We've been expecting you," I grimaced slightly while she continued, "Here is your schedule and a map of the school," she said and handed me a couple pages from somewhere amongst the large piles of paper on her desk.

She must've seen something in my expression because she didn't decide to go over everything with me but she did hand me another item, a yellow slip of paper that I was to have every teacher sign before returning it at the end of the day. At least I could be glad that this woman spoke properly which made it easy for me to understand. Instantly liking her a little more, I thanked her brightly and left.

When I got back outside, I stuffed the papers in my backpack and began my trek across the parking lot to my first class. All the other cars were older which seemed fitting to me in this small town. It's not like I was expecting them to have all the swanky new cars like the big cities.

A glint of silver caught my eye and I took quick note of a silver Volvo, the nicest car in the lot. I might be wary of the owner of that car since from my experience in people watching, (When you can't join them, observe them. Why not?) the people with the nicest cars were typically… on the opposite side of the social spectrum and the least likely to send a nice smile _my_ direction.

As the sidewalk got more crowded, I was forced to hide inside my coat and weave my way through the throng. I hate crowds. Somehow, I've always equated crowds to being lost. I can't see everything as well, I get bumped and jostled every which way, and the audible messages are the most common way to deal with a crowd or find a certain person.

When I approached the door to my first classroom, I paused and swallowed. Could I do this? Would I be able to understand the teacher? What if I made a total fool of myself if he asked me a question?

Breathe, Bella, breathe. I calmed myself slightly and walked inside the small classroom. Just as others before me, I hung up my jacket on the hooks by the door and took the little yellow slip of doom to the teacher, Mr. Mason as the plastic nameplate stated. He signed it without too much trouble and embarrassment for me and I swiftly went to a seat in the back, glad to be out of my classmates' line of sight who had begun gawking at me the moment I took off my coat.

Unfortunately, they still managed to stare at me anyway even while I was behind them all, though I'm not entirely sure how. Now _that_ was talent. Besides the fact that I was now certain beyond a doubt I would be put under the microscope for a while, the class went fairly well. I missed several words here and there because sometimes he'd turn and talk while writing on the board or walk and turn completely sideways but it could've been much worse.

After class however, a boy came up to me introducing himself as Erik. He spoke so fast he made my head spin. I'd seen his type. He was the dreaded overly helpful, chess club type. Amongst the words that flowed without break from his mouth, I was somehow able to catch the barest trace of my name, 'Isabella'. I started with that since I didn't have much clue what else he said.

"Bella," I corrected quickly. Thankfully, he slowed down after that but out of the corner of my eye, I saw several people turn to hear our 'conversation' if that was indeed what it was supposed to be.

"Bella then, what class do you have next?" he questioned eagerly.

"Government, in building six," I replied, not especially wanting to continue this conversation.

"I can walk you there, I'm already heading to building four," he told me eagerly which made him talk a little faster again. Although I was secretly pleased that he didn't have that distinct hesitation people had when talking to me in Phoenix, I needed to nip this in the bud before I found myself doomed between classes.

"Oh, that's okay, Erik. I can get there myself," I attempted to decline politely. He took the hint but his smile faded only slightly, trying to still appear cheerful though he was clearly disappointed.

"Okay, I hope you like Forks," he said before walking away like a sad puppy.

I felt a little bad about it but I left for my next class in a hurry. The rest of the morning was pretty much the same. After each class, one or two people would always come up to me and introduce themselves, ask how I was liking Forks, and the standard pleasantries.

There was one girl with wildly curly hair that sat next to me in two of my classes who walked with me to the cafeteria at lunch. (Mostly because she didn't take the hint like Erik had) She talked like it was an Olympic sport, faster then anyone I had ever seen, including Eric.

She had begun prattling on about teachers and classes I gathered but after watching her talk for a little while and ending up with a colossal headache, I pegged her for the gossip of the school. Anything I told her would more then likely become public knowledge by tomorrow. I didn't even try to keep up.

Since there wasn't much hope of getting away gracefully, I sat with her at a table with six more students that watched me in awe. I sat there, half panicking when I noticed _them_.

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Bloodredeclipse: When Bella and her mother were talking, they were both speaking and using sign language since Bella would want practice for reading lips but on the areas she gets lost, the signing is there. When she was talking to Charlie however, they were just talking. She is very good at reading lips.

Ms. Topaz: Oh dear. I didn't know. Sorry about that. I just was peeking in on one of the mute Bella stories and I wondered if anyone had published a deaf Bella story yet.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Okay, after this chapter I'm going to try and break away from the big shadow that Twilight casts. It'll snowball to cataclysmic proportions and you'll all be like 'What the heck is she doing?' No, really. Okay, maybe I was kidding about that last part but at least you won't have to feel like you're reading a failed clone of Twilight soon. Don't give up on me yet. ; D

**Disclaimer:** I am not Stephanie Meyers. I own nothing.

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_**An Ode to Silence**_

There were five of them sitting at a table in the corner on the other side of the room. They were each looking off in different directions, away from each other, away from the other students, at nothing in particular at all. Most importantly, they were among the few that weren't gawking at me.

They weren't talking, they weren't eating yet the trays in front of them were full and untouched. They most certainly didn't look very much alike.

The difference between them all was immense. The most intimidating of the three boys was overly well muscled with dark curly hair. I might've wondered whether he was on steroids. The next one was a taller honey blond, still muscled but thankfully not as big as the first. The last of them was leaner and less bulky with hair the color of bronze. He also appeared to be the youngest of the trio.

The girls were as much alike as night and day. The one sitting closer to me reminded me of a pixie. She was extraordinarily thin with small features and deep black hair that was cropped short and spiky. The blond on the other hand was tall and shapely. Her figure would make a model turn green with envy and other girls instantly have smaller egos. She possessed golden hair that waved to the middle of her back too.

Taking in all these amazing differences, they were also exactly the same. Each and every one of them was paper white, easily the ones who would get voted 'least likely to get a tan' if ever there was such a thing. They were even paler then me. They had dark shadows under their dark eyes as if they were all insomniacs or something.

And they were all devastatingly, overwhelmingly, inhumanly beautiful. They owned looks I had never expected to see on anyone except maybe after an excellent photoshopping job, or painted as the face of an angel by a master.

I stared, enchanted by the sheer magnitude of their beauty as_ the little pixie-like girl stood with her tray and strode away with a graceful dancer's step that wouldn't have looked out of place in a ballet. My eyes almost involuntarily followed her until she glided through the back doors and then snapped back to the table she had left. One word caught in my mind, astounding. The others hadn't moved even moved a fraction of an inch._

_I wanted to stare at them longer but my desire to know more about them outweighed it. "Who are __they__?" I asked softly before turning to see Jessica. Her face held a knowing glint to it and I had to force myself to concentrate to understand her slew of words running swiftly into one another as she rambled. Clearly, she was proud of her knowledge and was more then happy to show it off._

_ "Those are the Cullens and the Hales. Edward and Emmett Cullen, Rosalie and Jasper Hale, and the girl who left was Alice Cullen. They live with Dr. Cullen and his wife. They're all __together__ though. Emmett and Rosalie and Jasper and Alice, __living__ together but they're not really related. Although the Hales are brother and sister, twins, the blondes. Mrs. Cullen is like, their aunt or something but I think she can't have kids."_

_I never ceased to be amazed at how that girl could talk. It seemed I was right about her being the gossip queen of the school though. Since she somehow managed to steer her fast moving spiel onto herself, I redirected my eyes to look at the Cullens again. As I watched, the youngest one looked up and met my gaze with curiosity and… something else. What's that word? Frustration or that he was expecting something that didn't happen. Odd._

_"Which one is the boy with the reddish-brown hair?" I asked, resisting the urge to roll my eyes as she appeared startled that I would interrupt her trying to dish out everything I never wanted to know about everyone but she recovered quickly and sucked in a breath for more blabbering._

_ "That's Edward. He's absolutely gorgeous like his adopted siblings but he doesn't date. Clearly, none of the girls here are pretty enough to catch his eye," she sniffed and what was that? A hint of a pout. She was an open and shut case of sour grapes. I wondered when and how many times he'd turned her down. _

_Eventually though, lunch ended and I walked with one of the girls from the table called Angela. I could tell I was going to get along with her. When we stepped into the classroom, Angela smiled timidly at me before moving to go sit at a black-topped table just like the ones I was used to. Unfortunately, she already had a partner like everyone else except for one table by the center aisle._

_It was Edward Cullen's table. Strange, I would've thought he would be swarmed by girls making googly eyes at him. Swiftly, I began to make my way up to the front to get the dreaded slip signed. The moment I passed him, he went rigid in his seat and my eyebrows furrowed since I didn't understand why when I noticed his eyes. They were coal black and absolutely furious. I might've chalked it up to a bad day but out of everyone else in the class, he was throwing that look directly at me and no one else._

I looked away in a hurry, going red from his contrary looks at me. Mr. Banner signed my slip and he didn't have to tell me where I would go before I knew I was going to have to sit beside Edward. I didn't yet know what I had done to provoke him but I felt like apologizing.

When I sat down, he instantly started leaning away from me like it was painful to be near me. That hurt. He didn't know me from Eve. Thoroughly unnerved, I let my dark mahogany hair fall between us for me to hide behind. During the whole class, he managed to never relax his stiff position as far away from as his chair allowed. His fist was clenched under the table so tightly that his tendons stood out. He didn't even relax that.

When I was sitting this close to him, I realized that he wasn't nearly as slight as he appeared next to his gorilla of a brother. The class dragged on and on and I peeked at him again through my hair. His eyes seemed more hateful then earlier, the cruelest I'd ever seen anybody look.

That was it. I was filled with sudden anger. I'd received too much of this to flinch away like everyone else. In Phoenix, I was mostly ignored but bullies were still bullies and they didn't go away when you reached high school. They just got more vicious but more subtle most of the time. Every school had them at some level. I was filled with a bold and rebellious spirit and was about to tell him off when the students around me started getting up.

Fastest of all of them was Edward, so eager to get out of there. Oh, next time I saw him, I was going to give him hell. My nervousness about ruining my chance at a semblance of normalcy had nothing to do with this type of thing. I glared in the direction of the door where I last saw him when I felt someone poke my arm and I turned my glare on him. He flinched away so I softened my gaze.

"You okay? You didn't respond when I spoke to you," he asked, concerned I blushed red. Of course I couldn't hear him but I couldn't tell him that. "Oh, sorry," I apologized quickly. I wondered if my voice had set off any alarms in anyone's mind but no one had mentioned it so I assumed that everything was fine.

"Anyway, aren't you Isabella?" He was a cute, baby-faced boy with pale blond hair carefully gelled into orderly spikes. He seemed nice enough but my previous anger hadn't fully melted. "Bella," I corrected sourly. "I'm Mike. Do you need any help finding your next class?" "Don't worry about it. It's gym, I think I can find it myself," I replied, still sticking to my instinct that it would be best if I walked myself to my classes.

"I'm headed there too," he said with a huge grin, I was too tired to leap through the hoops and find a way to walk by myself so I agreed. As we walked, I realized that he was another chatterer but of the good type. I wouldn't be relied on to keep the interaction going but there were many places in the easy conversation that I could pitch in. He didn't talk too fast at all but since he was faced forward sometimes, I missed whole sections of his jabber.

As I pushed through the doors on our way into the gym, he asked, "So, did you stab Edward Cullen with a pencil or something? I've never seen him act like that." My expression hardened and my eyes narrowed automatically when the conversation took a turn in that jerk's direction.

"Apparently, something," I responded stiffly before walking into the girls' locker room. Instead of Phoenix's two year requirement for gym, Forks required four years. That further reinforced my thoughts that this place was my very own rainy hell on earth. The fact that they were playing volleyball brought back memories of my own volleyball experiences. At least the gym teacher didn't make me to play this time.

Last time I had played volleyball game in a gym class, I ended up with a sprained wrist and five stitches in my head above my left eyebrow. No one ever urged me to get the ball again and the teacher didn't make me play again for a whole month.

Finally, the day was over and I walked into the warm office again to deliver my paperwork. There stood Edward Cullen in all his raging angel of death brilliance. I scooted over to stand against the back wall, waiting for him to finish his business with Mrs. Cope until the door opened again, bringing cold wind into the room.

The girl who came in placed a note in the basket and walked out quickly but Edward stiffened and slowly turned to glare at me with virulent eyes again. This time, I wasn't backing down like before. I glared back boldly, trying valiantly to make my eyes match the intensity in his. Something like amusement flashed into his eyes but he hastily turned back to the receptionist, said something to her before leaving.

Once again, the anger didn't fade and I strode confidently up to the desk with a new feeling of defiance then was present earlier in the day. "How did it go?" she asked cautiously, feeling something was wrong. "Just fine," I said curtly, handing her the slip of paper.

When I got back in my truck, I didn't feel the surging power that fury had brought on. Instead, I wasn't sure how I felt. Confused, mostly. I got through the day without it ending in disaster, someone I'd never before met seemed to have developed a strong dislike for me though I'm not sure what I did, and I took out my frustration on two different people. _Great job, Bella._ I thought to myself as I drove home.

**

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A/N: **If you liked it, tell me what you liked so I can give you more of that instead of flailing around and trying to guess at what you enjoy. If you have any suggestions about what you want to see in this story, tell me that and I'll see what I can do. But most of all, the greedy little author wants reviews. =D


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Did you get my little comment from last chapter and how it coincided with this chapter? Hehe… snowball. Wait… you haven't read that yet. Oops.

I love you all! Italic underlined at Bella's thoughts, by the way.

**Disclaimer:** I am not Stephanie Meyers. I own nothing.

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_**An Ode to Silence**_

The next day began as a repeat of yesterday, so much that I began feeling deja' vu for a while.

I went through the same motions, ended up picking an outfit only slightly different from yesterday, (jeans and a long sleeve light blue shirt) and grabbed my black raincoat from the same place in my closet. Amazingly, I also somehow managed to trip on the same step and fall in the same fashion. _Way to think new thoughts._

Before I realized this, I was going on auto. Now that the thought had crossed my mind, I stood there blinking and absently rubbing my throbbing leg that I had hurt again by falling. Suddenly, I frowned and was hit by a sudden sense of doubt as I crossed the room to look at the calendar. Yes, this was Tuesday and Monday really did happen.

I couldn't have imagined his eyes. They'd haunted my nightmares all night but I never saw Edward's face in my dreams. I only saw his angry black eyes.

When I got to school, things went by quickly. Mike didn't seem bothered by my little outburst the day before and came to sit by me in English. He offered to walk with me to my next class and I was honestly still feeling a little bad about yesterday so I agreed while Eric glared at him the entire time. That was new but very flattering.

At lunch, I gave up and sat with a group that included Jessica, Angela, Mike and Erik. I was still struggling with the group setting and all their chatter but it wasn't nearly as bad as yesterday. Plus, as I looked around the cafeteria, everyone else wasn't staring at me quite as much. I was beginning to relax but I couldn't help but notice that Edward Cullen wasn't in the cafeteria. His siblings were there but he was missing.

Yesterday was still sore in my mind as I pictured his inimical glares at me again like I'd committed some atrocity. I felt the dread I'd had over seeing him again but I was almost glad he was gone. Almost glad, because I felt somehow disappointed. It was a mystery to me how I could miss him glaring at me on any level.

Shrugging it off, I walked with golden retriever-like Mike to Biology and I wondered if I'd reconciled my feelings about him being gone too soon. Maybe he just ate lunch somewhere else. But, no. The desk where he would've sat was empty. Mike lingered by my desk a little longer, chattering something about a beach trip before my thoughts drifted elsewhere and I could no longer concentrate on reading his lips.

I'd have to do something about him. He and Erik were both… overly friendly. I had no practice with that seeing as I had no practice with people actually talking to me instead of awkwardly passing me in the hall.

Eventually, the school day ended and I was pleased to find that I had successfully evaded Mike. I didn't need his company at the moment. Swiftly, I weaved through the crowded parking lot full of fleeing students and sighed with relief when I sat safely in my truck.

Last night, I made a horrific discovery…. Charlie can't cook much more then eggs and bacon so I requested that I take over making the food that way both of us can eat well. How did he survive all these years? Also, he didn't exactly have any food in the fridge, other than fish, fish, and more fish so it seemed I was heading to the store. That is, unless I wanted eggs and fish for supper.

I started my truck and instantly noticed heads turning my way. _C'mon people! It's just an old truck!_ I backed out carefully and positioned myself in the line of cars to leave the parking lot. While I sat there, twiddling my thumbs, I observed the Cullens and the Hale twins getting into the silver Volvo I'd noticed yesterday. It figured.

They were beautiful and, as I noticed their clothes for the first time, rich. I'd been too enchanted by their gorgeous faces before. Their clothes were simple enough but hinted at designer origins. Their clothes definitely wouldn't be seen hanging up on the racks at Wal-Mart. Still, they could've worn dishrags and made them look like they were straight off a runway as the newest style.

Their heads turned my way as I passed too.

Grocery shopping put me at peace in a strange way. From the instant I'd gained my driver's license, it had been my job to get the groceries back home too. When I arrived at Charlie's house, I unloaded the groceries and without a method to the madness, I stuffed them in the yellow kitchen cupboards wherever they fit. I just hoped I wouldn't be in too much of a rush to find anything until I could figure out just where to put everything next time.

Carefully, I went about cooking dinner, which consisted of steak and potatoes. It was an old favorite of mine that Renee had only cooked a few times. She was an imaginative cook to be kind. If I didn't wish to be kind, I'd say that many times she just grabbed ingredients at random and made something, though I was never quite sure what.

When Charlie came home, he shed his gun belt and jacket and found me reading _Wuthering heights _in the living room. I think I worried him though when I raced over to the kitchen to pull out the potatoes and put in the steak because he warily peeked in to watch me, eyeing the potatoes like he was afraid they might decide to blow up.

"What's for dinner?" he asked with an odd look on his face. He obviously still remembered some of Renee's cooking. Her cooking had blown up a few times.

"Steak and potatoes," I responded out of breath from my previous panic that I'd overcooked the potatoes.

He seemed appeased and lumbered to the handkerchief sized living room to watch the game while I busied myself in the kitchen. As I cleaned, peppered this, salted that, I'd sometimes glance over at Charlie with a grin on my face. It was sort of nice how we'd settled into a routine. I realized that I liked that and it was beginning to feel like I could get used to Forks. That didn't mean I would hate the rain, gym, or certain other things any less but I could get used to it.

Dinner that night was fairly quiet but comfortable and after we finished, he cleared the table and I started on the dishes. He went to watch TV once he was done but I was still working. I didn't mind though. I was content with the work I busied myself in and glad that it relieved Charlie of it so he could rest.

When my work in the kitchen was complete, I went back to my room and started on the homework assigned to me that day in class. I knew of nothing but school and trivial things as the day ended and I crawled into my safe, warm bed.

The remainder of the week went okay. With each passing day, I was able to recognize more people and I grew more at ease. I wasn't as concerned about people finding out about my deafness. Maybe that wasn't good but I slipped in anyway and felt comfortable. Edward Cullen was no longer of my concern. I didn't know if he was going to come back to school at all.

The weekend was basically spent at home for me. Charlie on the other hand, continued to work since he didn't seem to be used to spending much time in the home. I cleaned, did homework, wrote to my harebrained mom, and went to the library. The sight of the small building had concerned me and rightfully so it seemed. Their selection was extremely scanty. I didn't even bother getting a card.

On Monday, I was in good spirits. No one stared at me like I was the brand new freak show at the circus anymore but I was still noticed and didn't expect to be able to fade into the walls for a long time to come. I'd even started thinking of Charlie's house as my home. It wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. Well, yes it was but there were also things here that I didn't give it enough credit for.

When we walked out of English, I stared up at the sky in horror at the swirling bits of white fell mockingly to the ground. As I watched one float to the ground, I winced and grimaced. Involuntarily, I looked at Mike, knowing that he'd probably make a comment.

"Wow," I was right. "It's snowing." I grumbled using a colorful assortment of words and he looked surprised. I wasn't obligated to be dumbfounded in sheer joy at the cold weather. Snow had a way of melting and soaking my socks no matter what I tried. At least the rain was straightforward about it.

"Don't you like the snow?" he asked with eyebrows raised. I shook my head vehemently, thus ending the conversation. He might've said something else but a snowball slammed into the back of his head so I made my getaway. The conversations that I was able to catch bits of were all about the snow and how amazing it was.

By lunch time, the snowball craze had caught on and it seemed that there were two, epic snowball wars going on simultaneously. As Mike, Jessica, and I walked inside the cafeteria, I wondered about Edward Cullen whom I hadn't seem since last Monday. Surreptiously, I glanced at the table in the corner of the room. _Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear. _

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A/N: **Now review or I'll make her ditch Edward for Jacob! No… I wouldn't do that. Or would I? :3


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Clarissa is getting a little busy lately and if she's not careful, she's going to forgot to put up a new chapter and everything because it takes time to write a good chapter and I'm not doing it very well lately. I think I could do better but I started procrastinating when I had to prepare to paint the porch, go get new tile, laundry, and such. So, the 2am writing is becoming a tradition. Forgive me. I just hope everything is coherent.

**Disclaimer:** I am not Stephanie Meyers. I own nothing.

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_**An Ode to Silence**_

After sighting _him_, my jaw quickly found itself set in determination and my eyes narrowing infinitesimally. He hadn't even noticed me yet, it seemed or didn't care. He and his siblings, like everyone else, were enjoying the snow day though. The big, burly gorilla, aka Emmett, was shaking his snow saturated hair toward Alice and Rosalie who were leaning away from him. Jasper and Edward were all smiles though their hair was equally damp.

They were all still, absolutely gorgeous. And, they all still looked more like a scene out of a movie than the rest of us. That was something that was likely to never change if I was honest with myself. My anger had faded but my early resentment and dread at his appearance at not.

Since I didn't especially desire to create a scene in the cafeteria with all his siblings, I walked on with Jessica and Mike though I wanted to be anywhere else. Maybe I could hide out in the library or something. I suddenly wasn't that hungry anyway with my feelings all confused.

As they dragged me toward the line for food, I paused and looked at my companions' lips briefly. _Now what are they babbling about?_ Apparently, it was something about an especially grand snow war to end all snow wars after lunch. "Hey guys, I think I'm just going to go to the library. I'll see you guys later," I said casually but with an edge of finality to it.

They looked at me disappointedly but waved and said something to the effect of 'later'. Hurriedly, I strode back through the tables of the cafeteria with only one fleeting glance at the Cullens' table when I noticed Edward was watching me though something was off about his appearance. Something had changed since last Monday…

A memory popped up in my mind of him glaring at me with black- wait, that's it. His eyes were now an interesting ocher. Not black. Maybe he got contacts or something but I thought that with contacts that you were supposed to go something similar to your actual eye color or it wouldn't work. Maybe the black were contacts.

Shaking my head, I stepped out the doors and soon stood outside the doors of the library. The library was a nice place. I didn't feel out of place here like I did almost everywhere else in Forks. The town was just a little strange for me but I could never feel odd in a library. I knew the dewy decimal system almost as well as some librarians.

Feeling at peace, I buried myself in _Sense and Sensibility_ by Jane Austen. Imagine my embarrassment when I checked my watch a bit later and found that I was a minute or two late for Biology II. Hastily, I sprinted to that classroom, noting that the snow had turned to rain with a smile, and burst through the door, interrupting some spiel by Mr. Banner.

He merely looked at me disapprovingly as I shuffled over to my seat with my head down. Actually, he might've said something but I didn't hear it as I stiffly slid into my seat beside Edward Cullen. My eyes scanned over the equipment in front of us and realized that this looked familiar. I'd done this lab back in Phoenix which was nice, but a tad boring.

Suddenly, I noticed movement to the side of me and I looked over. There sat Edward with a concerned look on his face. He wasn't glaring at my hatefully this time and his chair was even angled toward me though he still was sitting as far away as the desk allowed. "Are you okay? You didn't respond," his perfectly sculpted lips formed the words and I just about went to bang my head on the counter.

I hadn't been paying attention for anyone speaking to me but what's a girl to do? "Let's just do the lab," I grumbled, put in a bit of a bad mood by his acting like nothing happened last week and my failing to catch him speaking to me. Did I want him to glare at me? I didn't know but acting like he hadn't been acting that I was the devil embodied only a week earlier certainly wasn't what I wasn't what I wanted.

He shrugged and gestured to the microscope, "Ladies first." I scowled and peeked through the lens. "Prophase," I announced and he took a turn at the microscope. It went like that for four slides longer before we finished and I looked at him to make sure I didn't make the same mistake as earlier and totally miss him saying anything.

Sure enough, he did speak, "My name is Edward Cullen. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself last week." "Yes, you were too busy looking at me like I was the scum of the earth with your loverly onyx eyes. Bella Swan, simply charmed," I sneered, slightly shocked at myself. Apparently I had reserves of emotion for unfulfilled fury toward a person.

He seemed taken aback. "You might want to ease up on the inimical attitude if you wish to pretend that nothing happened the next week," I finished my little rant. When I leaned back but still watched his lips for any sort of response.

When I noticed Mr. Banner coming, I directed my attention toward him though I kept an eye out for Edward saying anything too. "Didn't you think Isabella should get a chance with the microscope?" he asked. "Bella," Edward corrected, seemingly recovered from my verbal assault. "She identified three of them."

He mumbled something that I couldn't quite catch before walking off. "So, I guess I should apologize about my behavior last Monday," Edward began turning the full force of his strange ocher eyes on me. My anger might've been the only thing that kept me from my mind going blank and hyperventilating.

"Why were you acting like that?" I questioned, mildly perturbed but I felt my anger ebbing at the sight of him.

At this, he seemed sheepish, like he didn't really know how to answer me. "Or do you typically greet newcomers that way?" I interrogated, going with the flow of my emotions... even if I refused to recognize several of the more colorful ones. "It's too bad about the snow isn't it?" he asked, changing the subject. Okay, that was a little frustrating but if I continued, I'd probably end up yelling at him in the middle of class.

"Nope, not really. You're very talented at changing the subject," I stated with a raised eyebrow. He flashed me a brilliant smile of ultra-white teeth. "Why, thank you." Thus ended the conversation without it ever getting started. That was fine with me. At least we ended better then last time.

The class came to order again soon after that and he showed the class on the overhead projector what I had seen without difficulty. Gym on the other hand, was a nightmare. I somehow managed to whack myself in the head with the racket. That wasn't pleasant.

Not soon enough, the day was over and I slowly walked to my truck, exhausted and with a welt forming on my throbbing head. I climbed in carefully and my eyes caught a glance at Edward Cullen who was staring intently at me. He was an odd boy to be certain but he also probably hated my guts as I was trying to strongly dislike his. I was only managing a sort of, mild irritation though.

After my conversation with him today, I wasn't able to dredge of the hatred I had before but I didn't see much of a problem with that at the moment other than the sake of just being mad. Was that just a long winded way of saying that I just don't have a clue how to handle the situation and I'm unsure of even my own feelings? Yes, yes it would.

Quickly, I tried backing out but slammed on the brakes with a jerk when I almost hit a rusty Toyota. _Haste almost made waste now didn't it, Bella?_ I thought to myself as I checked more carefully before beginning the process of getting out again.

On a side peek at Edward Cullen again, I would swear he was laughing. Okay, he is a jerk.

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A/N: **Too harsh on Edward? Maybe. I'm having fun though. Tell me what you thought, ideas for the future because I'm basically winging it and hoping for the best. Though in the possibilities roaming my mind, I didn't imagine she'd end up being late for class. I had originally just thought she'd end up yelling at him and then Mr. Banner come in all sheepish about being late later. Oh well, this felt right to me.

Let's make a goal for reviews though. What about twenty? Please and thank you! –The greedy little author.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I believe it is now the weekend so here is your chapter. My week of deadlines is finished and I am relieved. Anyway, I'd like to give to a shout out to . I read your new chapter and you've inspired me. Without further ado, TADA!

**Disclaimer:** I am not Stephanie Meyers. I own nothing.

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_**An Ode to Silence**_

As I pried open my sleepy eyes to view my silent world, something struck me as odd. This wasn't like the other mornings. It was… clearer somehow. Warily, I got up and moved to the window. Snow. That disgusting stuff had formed a thin layer over everything. That included my truck, the driveway, the roof, and the trees. Don't get me wrong, it was an amazingly beautiful sight to behold but with my balance, I wouldn't make it five feet.

This was going to be simply awful, I thought as I trudged downstairs for some breakfast. My eyes seemed to want to close even more after seeing the snow so everything was rather blurry but I managed to get myself a breakfast of cereal and orange juice.

Unfortunately, when my mouth closed over the first bite, I realized with dreadful clarity that I'd accidentally poured the OJ in the cereal and the milk in my cup. My face twisted in a look of discontentment but I swallowed it down and finished up my breakfast. After that culinary experience, any hope I had harbored for the day was dashed.

I wondered if I should just say I was sick, go back to bed, and hope for a better day tomorrow. I fantasized about how good that would feel to crawl back into bed but my feet still carried me toward the front door, my hands still grabbed my new black jacket and my other hand still reached for the knob.

As I carefully made my way across the deadly slick of the driveway, my thoughts drifted toward Edward Cullen. He was an odd boy to be certain, perhaps even bi-polar. As he sat in my memories, he and all of his siblings were more pulchritudinous (Which means beautiful, gorgeous,) then anyone I'd even seen, even among all the professionally beautiful and ultra thin supermode- Slip!

My body smacked against the ice with a painful thud. On a side note, the sky was almost pretty today despite the fact that there was still no sun to be seen. The full overcast was in shades of gray, dark blue, an odd purplish-blue and even some highlights of silver. Every cloud has a silver lining? Well now, I can see that.

After a while of laying there on the icy ground, I started to get cold so I attempted to get back to my feet. In typical Bella fashion, I slipped another couple times before I wobbled to a standing position. There were black dots swirling around in my vision with bits of pink, green, blue and hints of red. It was a verifiable rainbow flashing and throbbing in my eyes. Although, if I were to say that it was pretty, then I would also have to say that it was annoying. Just like Edward.

It would seem that I was even more brain dead and easily amused today than was usual but maybe that had something to do with the fact that I had orange juice in my cereal. I stood precariously unsteady in the middle of the driveway while my vision cleared enough that I could scramble to the safe harbor of my faithful truck but I remained dizzy for sometime after.

My thoughts during the drive were originally focused on the mystery of Edward Cullen but I put a stop to that after a couple minutes and began musing over Mike and Erik and how different they reacted towards me than the boys in Phoenix. I had my bets that it was partially because I was the deaf girl. I was willing to bet that much of the rest of their reasons focused on how I wasn't pretty enough for them. There were other fish in such a large pond.

Stepping out of my truck when I arrived at the high school, some snow-caked gleaming silver caught my eye in the back of the truck. Charlie. He'd put on small silver chains on the wheels this morning for me. Biting my lip, I moved closer to inspect the diamond shaped crisscrossing chains while trying desperately hard not to fall again.

My eyes misted with the wave of emotion Charlie's snow chains had brought but with practiced diligence, I swallowed it down and felt the sea of emotions that I didn't wish to tap into, begin to ebb and fall away. As soon as it was sufficiently covered, I looked up. There was a sea of faces staring at me with wide, terrified, and shocked faces. Edward Cullen stood out among them four cars down.

_What are they looking at?_ I thought, panicking when I noticed a dark blue van skidding towards me. It would impact with the back of my faded red truck and I was standing right smack dab between the two. I didn't even have a prayer or a moment for my life to flash before my eyes.

As some instinct prodded me, I instantly glanced back toward the kids staring in horror to see something of a white and bronze blur racing at me before I felt something ram into my numb body. I fell away like a rag doll but the impact didn't come from the direction I thought it would come from. More importantly, I was still there instead of dead like I thought I would be. What happened to dead upon impact?

My head hit the icy ground for the second time that day and those familiar black dots swirled in my vision when I noticed something solid and cold pinning me to the ground. I didn't try to struggle against it. What I saw would confound me for days afterward and would haunt my musings in my free time but I was sure my eyes were deceiving me or I'd hit my head harder then I'd thought.

The van skidded toward me again as if fate was unhappy to be thwarted. Two white hands came into my vision and slammed into the side of the van as it shuddered to a stop not more then a foot from my fear-struck face. When the blurring hands came away, there was a deep dent in the van's body.

One of the hands fit under the van while the other swung me around and out of the way. Finally, the van settled where my legs had been only a moment ago.

Everything seemed frozen, hushed, awed for that one moment. My heart was thudding in my chest so frantically that I could feel it with each beat. My breaths came in shallow pants before the frantic hysteria started up. People began hurrying my direction with relief and worry etched similarly everywhere I looked. Their mouths each formed words that I didn't try to decipher with my blurry vision and tired mind.

Surreptiously, my gaze felt grasped by a magnetic force to Edward, the one who had pulled me out of the way. His perfectly sculpted lips were moving like the rest and I stared confusedly at him, my lip reading skills forgotten in some box in my mind that I'd moved away from in this moment of crisis. This seemed to make him even more worried and he continued speaking until he held up two of his long, pale fingers in front of my face while his lips still moved but in more rushed movements.

With concentration that made my head ache, I picked out the words he was saying. "Bella, Bella? Can you tell me how many fingers you see?" My features rearranged themselves into an exasperated appearance. "Two. I'm fine," Unbeknown to me, my voice was even muggier then before. His face was disbelieving and concerned but he let it go.

I tried to sit up, only to find that he held me firmly against his body in a strong grip. I struggled a little bit before looking back at his lips, "-your head pretty hard." I only managed to catch the end of whatever he was saying. Still, even as the throbbing ache above my left ear was overcoming my senses, I grimaced disapprovingly in an attempt to dislodge his thought about my head.

Then it hit me, figuratively of course. "You were four cars away," I stated confusedly. His expression changed to a serious, yet innocent one. "I was standing next to you," his lips formed the words. Why was he lying? That white-bronze blur, was that him? And what about his hands vs. the dent in the car? Was I just really, really messed up? I didn't know but I was more inclined to believe what I saw instead of assuming that I'm crazy.

When I managed to sit up, he slid away from me and my eyebrows furrowed. I opened my mouth to say something else but the mob of people stole my attention. They all had tears streaming down their faces and their lips were all stretched wide which indicated screaming that I couldn't think about in my current condition. I wouldn't want to try and decipher that even without the pain in my head.

The teachers were now taking charge and different adults said something here and shouted something else by the van. I blinked and turned back to Edward. "You were by your car. Not next to me." You were that white-bronze blur, I silently added. His jaw set and he looked at me with his eyes in a hard stare. "No, you're confused." He tried to write me off.

Stubborn as I was, I wasn't about to let it go. "I saw you." I protested. "You must've hit your head too hard." He stated, his eyes pleaded with me. "My head is just fine." On, and on the battle of words raged until I spoke again, "Will you explain it to me later?" I asked. His perfect eyes narrowed, "Fine." A small sense of victory pulsed through me when that one word registered on my mind.

When the ambulance arrived, I tried to slip away and fade into the crowd of panicking students but a firm hand on my shoulder prevented me from getting so much as two feet away. I frowned as the stretchers were brought to us by the EMTs and held up my hands to say 'no'. Unfortunately, after Edward said something to them, (probably about my lack of response earlier) it was a lost battle and they picked me up and set me on the humiliating thing.

I wanted to sink inside my skin and hide when they even put a neck brace on me in front of what must've been the entire student and teacher body. I saw Edward step into the front of the ambulance to ride while they carted me up into the back. What an infuriating situation. Still, the back of the ambulance didn't have that horrible unnerving feel most people felt in it.

I'd spent far too much time in one of these and in the hospital to not feel anything but normal among the machines and EMTs. For a split second, I almost convinced myself that I was back home in Phoenix, going to the hospital yet again because I'd suffered a concussion in gym but then the rain began to fall outside the windows of the vehicle. I was in Forks and I was overcome with the insane notion that Edward might not even be human.

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A/N: **Okay, I'm really beginning to have fun with this. What happens when Bella plays a ridiculously clueless human while piecing things together in silence? Since Edward doesn't know what goes on in her mind and how perceptive she really is, might he give more hints than if he were on guard for her watch like he was in Twilight? -Waggles eyebrows-

Review please!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **I actually don't have much to say here. Other then, here is your fantastical chapter and hope you enjoy it.

**Disclaimer:** I am not Stephanie Meyers. I own nothing.

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_**An Ode to Silence**_

The more I mused over my insane notion during the ride to the hospital and while they were unloading me, the more it seemed ridiculous. Still, I had a feeling that I was right about him beyond what made sense to me at this moment. I trusted my intuition, relied on it and I had plenty of first hand experience with wrong conceptions of reality. There was a limit though, wasn't there? It just wasn't possible.

I almost burst out laughing at myself but I choked it down when I realized that the EMTs would probably think I was insane on this stretcher. Who are we, foolish humans to try and judge nature about what it can and cannot do? Our understanding is so limited and people are always discovering new things. Although, many of them aren't released to the public because of the military. I was probably getting ahead of myself though.

Eventually, I gave up trying to reason it out rationally and attempted to figure out what I was going to do about it now. I could confront Edward but despite my wishes that he would explain everything and that it would all make sense, I had a good head on my shoulders. He would deny it, provide some wrong explanation, or I really did hit my head too hard.

Otherwise, the entire school would've already known that he was different other then the astounding beauty and anti-socialness which meant Jess would've blabbed about it.

I wouldn't say anything to him. I'd wait and observe him, look for clues that would support my thoughts. Subtly ask him and the other students, use tact and maybe an answer would appear.

From my quick observations, he and his family were white as sheet, had good looks well beyond the norm, gold eyes that changed to black, kept to themselves, and were extraordinarily graceful. Edward at least was also faster than _humanly_ possible and stronger then champion weight lifters if what I saw was right. Also factor in the expressions on his family that I saw as they loaded me up, which weren't at all concerned for their brother like they knew he'd be fine and the fact that though they looked scarily alike, they were all adopted and I got a confused mess.

They wheeled me into the emergency room which consisted of a long row of plain, metal framed beds separated by the generic, pastel curtains. Soon afterwards, a nurse came in and completed the standard checks, blood pressure and temperature and before leaving. It was one of the few familiar things about this place. It was a pattern that I could fall into without a second thought.

Since there was no one to scold me in the room, I calmly unfastened the Velcro on my neck brace and tossed it under my bed. Hospitals always seemed to put more effort into things and make them seem much worse them they actually felt. It was like the time that I fell off the swing set when I was eleven and hurt my foot.

I'd been walking on it with a limp for about a week before Renee finally went and took me to the doctor. Turns out that I'd broken one of the bones in my foot and they gave me something to wear on that foot until the bone finished mending. That seemed like a lot of trouble to me but Renee was happy enough to heed to their ideas. Maybe that's why there's the saying about fearing the doctor more then the disease.

While I lay there and mulled over my flawed logic, more hospital personnel rushed into the room with a boy I recognized as Tyler Crowley. I followed him with my eyes since I couldn't listen in with my useless ears. The bandages on his head and body were soiled with his blood and I wrinkled my nose in distaste as the smell of rust and salt floated over to me.

"Bella, I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed while the nurses worked.

"I'll live. There's nothing wrong with me," I replied without any specific emotion. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be listening since he was so caught up in his apology.

"I thought I was going to kill you! I was going too fast and-" I missed the rest when a nurse moved in front, blocking my view.

I decided to respond to what I could when the nurse moved, "You missed me. I'm fine," I repeated.

Tyler blinked. "How did you get out of the way so fast? You were right there but then you weren't anymore."

His statement didn't really make sense but I got the idea. "Edward Cullen saved me."

"I didn't see him… it was all so fast. Is he okay?" Even Tyler didn't see him then. Maybe there really was something going on.

"He didn't even have to use a stretcher," I stated calmly in contrast to Tyler's frenzied and emotional words.

We continued talking, or rather, Tyler kept apologizing and I kept repeating myself. It probably resembled a broken record. Eventually, they took me away to X-ray my head. As I had thought, there was nothing wrong with me at all. Not even a concussion. I knew the procedure after this, I would talk to the doctor and then leave if I wished and I did wish.

When I got back to the ER, Tyler resumed his droning so I stopped paying attention. I toyed with the idea of just closing my eyes and becoming essentially dead to the world but what if the doctor came in and tried to talk to me? He would probably know about the deafness but Tyler was my witness, I'd have to keep my eyes open.

As a sort of silent prayer that the doctor would come in here, talk to me for that brief bit, and then let me go, I directed my gaze toward the corner we came around. To my joy, someone did appear soon enough but it wasn't exactly who I wanted to see.

I followed Edward with my eyes until he sat on the edge of Tyler's bed. Tyler started to say something but I quickly recognized the pattern from earlier and ignored it, directing my eyes back to Edward since Tyler had nothing interesting to say.

"What's the verdict?" He asked me.

I rolled my eyes. "The same as I told you in the parking lot. I'm fine," I muttered, getting tired of repeating that over and over again. "Count your lucky stars that you got off scot free."

He pasted a smirk on his face, "It's all about who you know. I came to spring you though."

Immediately afterwards, the doctor I'd been awaiting came around that corner. I was blinked at his appearance. He was young, blond, and possessed the same ethereal beauty of the Cullens and Hales. _This would be their adoptive father,_ I thought.

"So, Miss Swan, how are you feeling?" Dr. Cullen asked me, reminding me even more of Edward with a musical and appealing voice.

I sighed. It was _that _question again. "I'm fine," I muttered.

He took a look at my unnecessary X-rays. "Your X-rays look good. Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard."

"I'm fine," I repeated in that same, dead tone. I didn't bother conjuring up anger so I just threw a withering glance at Edward.

The doctor's cold fingers danced along my skull to inspect it. I tried to mask my wince but he noticed anyway.

"Tender?" he asked when he finished. How many questions could he ask that I could respond to the same way?

"I'm fine," I said yet again and gave him a bored look.

"Tired of saying that line?" he asked, considering the look I gave him. Perceptive one, he is.

"I'm fine," I repeated, trying very hard not to shift my expression.

His shoulders visibly shook which she took for laughter. "Your father's waiting. You can go home now." I nodded and swung my legs over the side of the bed, eager to leave. Unfortunately, I was too hasty and I staggered. Dr. Cullen caught me without skipping a beat. I smiled reassuringly and detached myself from his steadying arms.

"Thank you," I said gratefully and turned the corner toward the waiting room with Edward following me a bit behind like he would watch to make sure I got to the waiting room. I didn't wish to stay any longer then necessary even in this familiar setting. This would've been a perfect chance for me to ask him about what happened but I saw little point. There was only one question that he might answer that I wanted to know.

"Why did you bother, Edward?" I asked casually, turning to face him.

He was stunned about my question indeed, it appeared. Then his face turned a bit sad, and vulnerable. "You would've expected me not to?" he asked.

"I don't know. I don't know a lot of things," I stated though I was disappointed in his answer. My thought about the situation was that he normally wouldn't save another person like that from extreme circumstances.

He probably would save somebody if he really was right next to them but he wasn't next to her. Maybe it'd caught him off guard and he just acted by instinct. I couldn't say for sure, but that's what my gut told me. As always, I paid extra attention to my gut feelings because the sub-conscious supposedly made many more connections then the conscious mind did.

The waiting room was a horror for me. Every single face that I knew in this town had crowded in the tiny room. Most of which was the school and faculty. Charlie found my side instantaneously. Before he could ask, I spoke. "They let me go. I'm fine. Let's go home," I blurted out quickly, seeing as Mike, Jessica, Erik and some other kids were beginning to converge on me.

Charlie nodded his understanding and swiftly steered me to the door before I could be trapped into an unpleasant conversation. We were fast enough that we were spared and I soon found myself safely seated in his police cruiser.

I never had felt such relief to be seated in that vehicle. Actually, I never felt any sort of relief before this. We were both caught up in our own thoughts of the day so neither of us said anything even when we were at a stop light. I felt like I was missing one vital piece of information that would help everything to make sense. I knew I was.

When we arrived, Charlie gave me a sheepish look and my eyes widened. _Oh no. No, no, no, no, no._ I thought as I realized what had happened.

"We're going to have to put in a call to Renee," he said before almost cringing away from me.

"Dad! You should've waited till you knew that I'm not dead or seriously injured! Like I usually am…" I added the last part in a mumble.

Charlie took my admission of the severity of my frequent hospital visits to mean that he was forgiven. Still, I hated making phone calls. It was so much trouble.

Quickly, we made our way inside and Charlie dialed Renee after putting it on speaker so she would be able to hear us both and Charlie could translate for me. It had only been a few seconds before Charlie began signing Renee's words. Even with us both explaining the situation to Renee, I could tell that it took a great deal of time and effort for her calm down from the amount of times that Charlie winced.

Eventually, the call ended and we both, in silent but mutual agreement, sighed and went off in our little routines. My routine included cooking dinner and doing homework. His routine included watching the game and setting the table.

That night, I went to bed earlier then usual and despite the throbbing ache in my head from the fall, I grimaced at the thought of drugs. I avoided drugs whenever I could. I had my fill of them for a lifetime of a normal, non-clumsy person. I was just lucky that way…

When I closed my eyes, the scene before me seemed familiar. _I know this place..._

**

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A/N:** For those of you who are wondering, Bella does not sleep talk. Speaking is not quite as natural and easy for her to even talk in her sleep. It made sense to me that she wouldn't sleep talk so deal with it for those of you who are disappointed. Anyway, there's something I'd like to note here.

I'm considering writing the next chapter in Edward's POV and stretching out a couple of those throughout the story because I honestly think that I relate better with Edward then with Bella as you should be able to tell from my writing style. Or, I could just leave the whole story in Bella's POV. I want comments on that because if you don't want any of Edward's view, I won't make one.

Thank you all! Review please.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **By popular demand, I decided to do Edward's POV. I know some of you had concerns about it but I'm going to try the best I can to accommodate you. I hate rehash chapters too. Still, before I set my twitchy little fingers to work, I felt the need to address one embarrassing mess-up from last chapter that a couple of you noted so there's no confusion, Carlisle's voice description. Sorry about that. I was originally just going to describe how his lips spoke just as clearly and precisely as Edward's but my mind wandered off on its bunny trail and well… oops. Thank you to those who mentioned it. It's fixed now.

**Disclaimer:** I am not Stephanie Meyers. I own nothing.

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_**An Ode to Silence**_

Yesterday was the first day I saw Bella since I returned from Denali, Alaska. That girl would be the end of me, I was certain of it already but she intrigued me. By now, I had thought that humans as a race were incredibly predictable to the point where I could pretty much predict a conversation with one and have it follow that line almost as accurately as if I were Alice.

The first time I saw her in the cafeteria, she was an enigma. Hearing of her in the halls from other students was boring and she had seemed like nothing out of the ordinary at all, especially to someone used to hearing the innermost thoughts of such children. About a century had passed since I came into existence and almost nothing had changed.

Once in a while, there was someone thinking a new thought but for the most part, it would be a day like all the rest. Still, as the day went on, I found two very important differences she had from other people. One, I couldn't read her thoughts. Two, she had the most delectable scent I've ever come across. She frustrated me, fascinated me, and even amused me.

Not many humans would have the courage to just glare back at vampires. Humans in general gave us a wide berth on instinct because we are their predators.

And yet, this young, sinfully delicious smelling human managed to drive me from my home. She drove me from my family just so I wouldn't drink her dry like the monster within me cried out desperately to do. I could barely risk breathing around her at all.

Then, I went back to neutrality around her. She would be like all the rest of this pathetic bunch but when I spoke to her, albeit briefly, she surprised me. She didn't shy away from confrontation or take the easy way out of a conversation. Bella persisted. Whatever she said, even if it was just to scold me for my behavior last week, drew me in. She seemed different.

Finally, today's incident happened. When she was to be hit and killed by Tyler's truck, I couldn't bare it. My puzzle, my fascination, Bella would be gone. I'd obsessed over her in my own way since I saw her. Why couldn't I read her thoughts? Why was she so bold? Why was the scent of her blood so captivating that venom filled my mouth at the very memory of it? Why, why, why?

She wasn't just that though. I wanted to find out more about her. Everyone else was so easy to read that I tired of them but she… I should've been thinking about her blood that would've been spilt and the consequences of the lack of control I would have. I should've been thinking about the consequences my saving her would have on my family and our secret but all I could think was, _not her_.

On the ambulance ride, I repeatedly felt like banging my head on the dashboard. _Why?_ But that would've left a dent in it that I didn't want to explain. I finally got to talk to her while she was in the ER on the bed beside Tyler. It looked like she was completely ignoring him. I noticed that she never would make eye-contact while someone was speaking to her but her eyes would flit up to theirs to meet while she responded.

After I noted that, there were other things that were a little weird. What was with her actions in the parking lot in that split second before truck was about to hit? Isabella Swan left me with more questions then answers. On top of it all, I wasn't allowed to preview the details on her injuries. Carlisle had to me long ago and scolded me for eavesdropping on patients' records. Doctor-patient confidentiality and all that.

Now, after all my actions were done and thoroughly irreversible, I would have to face my family who would now have conveniently changed into my own personal firing squad/grilling crew. Thanks to them, I was not permitted any illusions.

Eventually, I'd finished collecting my thoughts and braced myself as I parked my silver Volvo in front of the house. Immediately after I exited my vehicle, they came out to meet me with varying expressions on their faces.

Esme had one of unhappy understanding. Alice went with passive disapproval and a hint of hyperactivity buried in her tiny frame. Jasper had many expressions flit across his face before settling with carefully calm but with a certain fire in his eyes. Emmett had apparently sided with his mate, Rosalie for he bore an expression somewhere between congratulations and taut anger. Rosalie was the token furious one of the bunch. She was still my lovely sister but she looked positively deadly.

Before I could get a word in, the verbal assault began, "Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. What were you thinking?!" Rosalie fumed at me.

"Wasn't _she_ the one who ran you out of the house?" Emmett growled and I flinched.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I should've seen it coming or warned you in time," Alice said, disappointed mostly in herself. She didn't seem to be apologizing for anything other than not warning me of it either. She liked the outcome.

"Let him speak, he might have an explanation," Esme was as gentle as ever though she too was searching for a reason for such a public display of our species. I glanced down at the ground as I attempted to cease the rampage they were soon to be on before I completely lost any control and they just flat out yelled at me.

"What explanation could he possibly have to do that?! Aren't we important to you anymore?" Rosalie's anger only grew and what she said in her mind was much worse. She certainly could curse like a sailor. Let no one doubt that.

"Alice, what would've happened if I hadn't intervened?" I asked her quietly.

"Bella would've died. You would've lost control because of her blood and dived for her body, tossing Angela and Erik out of the way. Angela would've hit her head on contact with the concrete and remained in a coma. Erik would've died instantly when you grabbed him by his neck and his body would've hit Bethanie. Then there's the clean-up of the event…" Alice murmured.

That stopped everyone in their tracks. They all had looks of shock, surprise, resignation, and sorrow. Suddenly, their minds all poured out demands, questions, and concerns that made my head ache.

_Oh Edward. I'm sure it sounds worse then it would have been._ Esme was always able to put in a kind word even if she knew that it wasn't true. Just then, Carlisle pulled up and hastily moved the family inside. As we all sat down on the couches and loveseats, Carlisle folded his hands in front of him as a clear sign that he was in charge and that no one would speak until he did.

"Edward, I'm sure you know what needs to be done now and what the consequences may be," Carlisle intoned.

"Of course, I will play the lookout. I'll have to keep a closer watch on her and what she says though," I replied softly. "In the end, we may be forced to move." Carlisle nodded somberly and glanced around the group of vampires. We discussed things for a little longer before we all stood to go our separate directions before school. Rosalie scowled at me as she left with Emmett in tow.

And so began the game between Edward and Bella to discover each other's secrets before the other.

**

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A/N:** … Yes, I'm sorry it took so long and that it was awful. I was getting irritated and impatient because I want to get to a certain point in the story. More irritated at myself though because life kept getting in the way and I was unable to write. Thank you for all the reviews I got last chapter.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Apparently, I'm just going to use this up here to clear up things that you guys asked about.

The most common question was about Carlisle and the medical records. Carlisle does know that Bella is deaf now but as of that point in the story, Bella isn't supposed to be anything special to Edward besides having especially desirable blood. He wouldn't normally share information on patients with Edward and Edward doesn't look out of courtesy. So, Carlisle had no viable reason to share that bit of info with Edward at the moment.

Later, as Bella begins to mean something besides blood, it won't be on Carlisle's mind to suddenly tell Edward about it after all that time. Also, if Bella hasn't told him, then Carlisle figures that it isn't right to go around her back _because_ she is special to Edward and by consequence, to him. He'll leave that secret for Bella to spill.

**Disclaimer:** I am not Stephanie Meyers. I own nothing.

* * *

_**An Ode to Silence**_

_I was standing in the halls of my old school in Phoenix by my locker. There were all the familiar faces of my classmates around me as I stood but soon the dream moved of its own accord. I no longer had control of my body. It was one of the memories that I'd tried to suppress of that place in hopes of being able to take returning day after day.  
_

_There was a new boy due in school that day, not an uncommon thing though he would receive some attention for a couple periods. His locker happened to be next to mine so I met him there for the first time as he dealt with his new locker at the end of the day. I turned to him and felt my mouth moving and forming words._

_"Hello, my name is Bella," I introduced myself with a smile. I was hoping he'd be the friend I'd wanted. There were some kids I'd spoken to albeit briefly but there existed no companionship or loyalty even to sit with me at lunch among them. He looked slightly surprised from the unusual cadence of my voice but quickly recovered._

_"I'm Fredrick," he replied. From there, we settled into a casual conversation until one of my classmates came up to us. She glanced at me and frowned._

_This was one of the girls who just didn't understand. While others were indifferent, she was prone to say that I did not belong here and should go back to the school for the deaf. I hated just being around her. I could only be glad no one who knew about her really listened to her.  
_

"_Oh, you met Bella. She's deaf," she said matter-of-factly. Instantly, a he examined me with new eyes. These weren't the eyes of a potential friend but what he might use on an interesting subject matter.  
_

_This is looked to be just as ignorant as the girl feeding him information. They would make a wonderful couple one day, I could see it now. But, maybe there was still hope. If he would listen to me once more, I could educate him. All it would take is for him to say a word directed at me and not me as an experiment.  
_

_Then my hopes were shattered when pity and resignation entered his expression and he turned to my classmate who had said the comment that had suddenly changed his way of viewing me. He obviously didn't think I'd catch his words though I'd be willing to be he wouldn't say it in front of a hearing person. My deafness changed everything._

_I was about to open my mouth and give him the spiel I'd been saving for someone who gave me the pity eyes anyway. __He deserved that much for a couple minutes of empty conversation and a few frantic seconds of hollow hope._

_Before I could say even that though, my eyes caught his words that silenced everything I would've said._

"_Poor thing."_

I flew into the seated position, gasping from my dream. Instinctively, I glanced at the window immediately and to my surprise, I saw a blur of white-bronze so brief that I wasn't sure if it was there at all. It was the same blur I had seen at the accident yesterday. The one I had associated with Edward. _Edward._ Was he watching me?

Shaking it off, I recalled my dream. I remembered that day. I was so angry that I think I slapped him across the face. I couldn't be sure because I wanted to slap him so bad that it's possible I just edited that into my memory in place of the actual event. I hope I did slap him though.

I could still remember the shock on his face as he stared at me wild-eyed. I could still feel the smug look dance across my face as I took in the red mark on his face. I could also remember the bitter aftertaste when he turned to the girl again, acting like he didn't know what made me blow my top. If he didn't, then he's even more stupid and ignorant then I thought.

It was all in the past though, an offense long out of mind. I had known that it wouldn't be easy to try and fit in at a regular school after the time I had spent in a school for the deaf learning sign language, lip reading, and getting voice therapy along with the other basic school subjects but I was determined. I would have to find my place in the world anyway. I might as well start in high school.

Pinching the space between my eyebrows, I looked at my alarm clock beside me on the bed. It was five am. It was too early to get out of bed, too late to go back to bed. I went with the lesser evil and reluctantly crawled out of bed as my thoughts involuntarily returned to Edward and the white-bronze blur.

He didn't seem human. Not to me. But that thought didn't strike any terror in me that it probably should have. It was more of a curiosity. He was the reason I was still griping to my thread of life that should've already been snipped. If anything happened to me because of him, I'd still lived a little longer because of him. I wasn't sure how to state what my feelings about that were.

I pictured life as a person hanging on to a thread over a cliff. Death was the land below. The younger one is, the longer and harder the fall because the death of someone young is extremely hard to deal with for those who knew them. As one gets older, their string gets longer and closer to death so the fall isn't as long or hard. When one dies of old age, they just step off the thread because it's almost expected and inevitable. They've lived long lives.

I came up with that one day at my Grandma's funeral. I'd already attended a funeral of a ten year old girl and they were crying much harder at the younger girl's funeral. Maybe that's morbid, childish, or silly but that's what I thought.

-------

School that morning was nightmarish. I realize that everyone was just freaked, curious, and eager but I didn't want to deal with all of them. I couldn't. When I saw several people already beginning to converge on me when I arrived at school, I acted like I didn't see them and made my escape, melding into the small crowd of students on the sidewalk.

It was slightly cruel but it was all I could do to avoid the trauma of dealing with multiple people talking to me at once. Lunch was one thing when I could just stuff food in my mouth and nod but this would be quite another. In the end, I somehow managed to deal with them separately in the different classes I had with them. Jessica was by far the most adamant as I expected but by lunchtime, I almost decided to hide out in the library.

Unfortunately, if I wanted to prod just a little about the Cullens then this was my best opportunity. I would have to be subtle because it could get around to him or something. I would have to word everything as if he was sitting within hearing range. Oh dear, I sounded like a paranoid crazy person. If I was then I'd keep it quiet and find out a little anyway.

At lunch, Mike, Eric, and Jessica herded me toward their table in a heartbeat and demanded to hear my first hand account. I didn't like lying but I had no real trouble being convincing. I wove a hair-raising tale about me inspecting my snow chains when I heard the car behind me (impossible), being paralyzed with fear when I realized that the car would hit me and the back corner of my truck, and the finale of my awed gratitude about Edward being right next to me and pulling me out of the way (also wrong).

From the way they looked at me afterwards with wide eyes, they believed every word of it but they commented that they didn't see Edward there till afterwards. What's that? Further proof of what I thought. Edward was that white-bronze blur I saw because he was four cars away and then suddenly he was pulling me out of the way and then it was outside my bedroom window.

I was growing more and more convinced that something was off but I was missing some vital detail. The only other thing I noted in the cafeteria was that neither Edward nor his siblings spared me a single glance. They all remained as beautiful statues, unmovable and unchangeable.

Finally, Biology came and when I walked into the classroom Edward was already settled in his seat at our table, staring off somewhere like he had at lunch. I was relieved and joyous to see him there. I wanted to thank him before the time passed without mention. I hadn't said much to him yesterday and I was hoping to amend that.

Quickly, I moved down the isle and sat down next to him. Turning to face him, I spoke, "Thanks, Edward. About yesterday when you got me out of the way…" I said gratefully, though my words were laced with awkwardness. Finally, he directed his gaze toward me with no particular expression on his face.

"You're welcome," he replied cordially. And that was it. After that, I observed him sometimes over the days, unable to help myself. I watched his perfect gold eyes get increasingly darker by the day till nearly black then suddenly lighten up to a smooth, liquid honey. He appeared less tolerant on the days when his eyes were dark but generally acted as if I didn't exist.

Unbeknown to me, Edward was also watching me with mounting fascination. He saw the way I moved, the way I spoke, the way I denied what I knew in my heart to be true. He didn't know that I really did know that I was lying about the parking lot incident. He knew that something was off about me but he was trying not to be committed enough to find out. Truth was though; he was dying to figure me out. I was his puzzle, his source of frustration and he always came to watch me sleep because the day simply was not enough.

He never made much headway into discovering my secrets since he always just saw me at school with my guard up and when I was sleeping when there was nothing to discover except that I sleep on my side. He missed observing calls I made to Renee with Charlie and later, it would seem like such a head-slapper. How could he not see it when it was right in front of him? He didn't want to see it. He wanted to search till he found a more pleasant answer.

Still, as time continued its steady rhythm, we began saying a few words to each other. The key word there is, 'few'. We were like passing ships in the night with acknowledgment of the other but nothing remotely classified as friendship, or even being acquaintances. He was always just a bit cold to me like he would prefer I was anywhere else but around him. I'd put my hopes up there about piecing the puzzle that was Edward together but he shut me out. I wasn't angry about that though. It was his right and his family's right to protect themselves from strangers.

After six weeks, the next few days would change more between us then I imagined could change.

**

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A/N: **I tried something a little different for this chapter to accomplish my goals. It may be a little odd but I couldn't figure out how else to word what I wanted to say. Tell me if you liked it this way or the way I had it before because I'm still trying to figure things out. Finally though, I have a direction that I want to head in.

The question I'm posing to you guys is do you want Edward to find out that Bella is deaf first or Bella to find out that Edward is a vampire? This actually will make a difference in how things go. Chapter ten will be a large chapter just because it's well… ten. Review please.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Hello, everyone! I guess I have some fast talking to do about my absence… I ended up falling off the face of the civilized world for about two weeks when I went camping. I was far away from any and all technology above an I-Pod. Don't even ask me about testing either. So… yeah. I should've warned you people. –Feels bad-

Moving on. Thank you to all who gave me their input about the order of things. Your votes about who figures out what first were:

Vampire first:18 WINNER!

Deafness first:7

Same time:3

**Disclaimer:** I am not Stephanie Meyers. I own nothing.

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_**An Ode to Silence**_

No matter how I wished time would stop and let me rest and dwell, it continued marching on its merry way with no regard for me. No matter how I wished that time would rewind to yesteryear, it continued forward instead of back. No matter how I wished that time would hurry up a little and skip the boring parts like in a story that I can just flip the page, it continued its slow and steady pace.

They say time is a gift, that it is good that it doesn't pay any heed to our wishes of it. Maybe that's true…. But why doesn't it feel like that right now?

I must've stared at the answering machine for at least five minutes after the light indicating a call began flashing. Someone was calling us but I couldn't really pick up the stupid phone. Pesky contraption. Charlie and I had decided not to spring for a relay. There just weren't all that many people that I wanted to call who knew I was deaf.

Eventually, I sighed and stopped glaring at the little machine as I hurried to take out the biscuits I'd put in the oven. My eyes traveled their familiar path over the yellow cabinets that Renee had painted when she lived here. It had been her sad attempt to bring a little sunshine to the house in the town where the sun never shines.

The next morning, Jessica apparently had resumed her old habits and ambushed me the moment I stepped out of my truck. Her face was flushed with a bright smile on her face as I prepared myself for another Jess-babble. I learned to recognize and fear that face that she made just before she sucked in a breath for record breaking speed talking.

Right on cue, she sucked in a breath and I tried not to flinch as she launched into a blur of words (?) and gestures as I chewed on my lower lip.

"Whoa, slow down," I pleaded, holding up my hands. She stared at me, blinking a few times before she grudgingly complied. Though it really wasn't that much slower, at least it was semi-comprehensible. Eventually, I gathered that there was a dance coming up, it was girl's choice, and she wanted to ask Mike but had illusions that I might want to ask him.

"Don't worry, I'm not even going. Have fun with Mike," I said with a small smile. Mostly, I wanted the conversation to end as quickly as possible. I hated trying to talk to her when she was like this. It was impossible seeing as she could speed up and slow down at any given moment.

"Are you sure? I mean, it'd be fun for you to go and you shouldn't miss out…" she didn't seem to know how to stop talking when she's nervous but I took pity on her this time.

"I'll be fine. Look, there's Mike," I said, pointing across the parking lot where unsuspecting Mike was chatting with Tyler and Eric. Her eyes twinkled when she noticed him and she mumbled something I couldn't hope to catch before dashing off towards him.

As the day moved on its merry way, I noticed Jessica wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as she was this morning. She would've been practically glowing if things were fine. My worries were only substantiated when they both sat as far from each other as our table in the cafeteria allowed. The whole table was radiating awkward as they tried to converse normally without the ringleader Jessica fueling them with gossip.

This time, instead of stuffing my mouth and trying to make it through lunch without too many issues, I found myself staring off at the other tables of students prattling cheerily about one subject or another. Absently, I attempted to see how far a person could be while I could still read their lips. It wasn't very far but as I concentrated on one table, I felt like I was eavesdropping.

"-So, I was reading that new book that came out, you know the one about the vampire and werewolf romance? Ugh, it was sooo great. Anyway I-.." she turned her head so I couldn't catch the rest. Still, the idea about vampires and werewolves had wormed itself in my mind and made a little nest for itself as my thoughts turned to Edward.

Like always, he was sitting across the room with his siblings looking just the same as first saw him. Unfortunately, my thoughts tend to drift and I ended up comparing what I knew about the vampire myths to Edward. I'm glad to say that that train of thought didn't last when I suddenly felt very, very silly. Aren't vampires supposed to turn into bats, have fangs, sleep in coffins, be repelled be garlic, and unable to come out into the sun?

I wanted to bury my head in shame at such a ludicrous notion but before I could do any burying at all, everyone suddenly started standing up and gathering their plates. I hurried to do the same.

As Mike walked with me to Biology, we were both absorbed in our own thoughts. My thoughts remained fixated on the drama between Mike and Jessica. They would be so easy to tease if things worked out. Neither of us spoke till I had taken my seat beside Edward and Mike had rooted himself near me.

"So, um… Jessica asked me to the spring dance…" he 'broke' the silence. Instantly, I decided on my game plan and made myself smile hugely.

"That's wonderful! I wondered how long it'd take Jessica to ask you. You two will have fun," I gushed while silently cursing myself and promising to bang my head against something hard later for sounding so stupid. I would've done it then but that'd ruin the ecstatic and exuberant appearance I was trying to put on. Mike looked taken aback by my response as well for he struggled with his words for a couple more seconds before responding.

"I um… told her I had to think about it," he mumbled while glancing nervously at the floor like the tiles were much more interesting (and less threatening) then my face which I'd molded into one of disapproval with narrowed eyes.

"Did one of the other girls ask you? Or do you not like her?" I questioned, enjoying watching the emotions play across his face before he just flushed fire truck red. He might be competition for me in the blushing contest. Ah, if only…

"I, err… well, you see…" he stuttered, "I was wondering if you-"

"I'm not going," I cut him off quickly and efficiently. Was I cruel if I was enjoying this just a twiddle bit? I was distracted away from my thoughts of cruelty when I saw Edward's head tilt a little in our direction. He was paying some attention too. How interesting…

"Why not?" he demanded.

"I'm going to Seattle that Saturday and it simply can't be delayed to another time." What a shame, I added in my thoughts sarcastically but felt a tiny twinge of guilt as I looked at his sad puppy face. I quickly squashed it though. It really wasn't a good idea for me to go to the dance anyway and I had no interest in Mike that way.

"But-" he began to protest weakly but I cut him off again with a shake of my head.

"You shouldn't make Jessica wait any longer. She might think the wrong thing," I said with a small smile. To my gratification, he returned it and turned to go towards his seat. Thank goodness that's over. I usually prefer to keep conversations between classmates somewhat short or to let them do all the talking but I was still somehow popular. Those kids in Phoenix wouldn't have believed it.

Edward was staring at me. Though we'd said a few words to each others, he never once had seemed to take any more interest in me again other then he would a stranger on the street. He was using the same stare he had used once before with that strange curiosity and frustration ever more prominent in his dark eyes. I stared back with a blank expression but when he continued to gaze at me, I swallowed.

_Like a predator before his meal, don't look away. _ My mind screamed at me. I wouldn't even be able to look away from him in our staring contest. Carefully, I controlled my expression until, his lips moved.

"The Krebs Cycle," he said as he finally released me. Blinking, I turned my head to watch Mr. Banner instead. I wouldn't like to have another staring sequence now but I also couldn't let him know that. Social games were the worst but I was well versed in them after all the watching I've done over time. Never give them any info they can use against you. Never start out with a secret that could ruin you if found out. Too late for that last one.

When everyone began gathering their stuff, I fully expected Edward to make his retreat like he always did. Instead, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Reluctantly, I turned to face his inhumanly perfect face plastered with an unreadable expression. He didn't say anything. Why did he tap my shoulder then?!

"What do you want?" I asked cautiously, perfectly ready to move on and forget this encounter happened. In fact, I might be eager to do that.

"I'm sorry," his lips always moved more precisely then anyone I'd ever met, "I'm being very rude, I know. But it's better this way, really." I stared at him uncomprehendingly. He must've seen the question in my eyes though, so he continued.

"It's better if we're not friends," he elaborated, "Trust me." Oh no he didn't, I'd heard that way too often. Jerks, all of them. My eyes narrowed angrily but it wasn't all because of him. He just brought it up again.

"That's great, because we obviously aren't. You should've figured that out earlier though. You could've saved yourself all this regret," I spat. By now, I was all out glaring at him. He seemed surprised. He wasn't expecting me to take that approach.

"Regret? Regret for what?" His black eyes were no longer hard but stripped of their guard. This was a little better.

"For not letting that van squish me. You're much less grumpy looking when I'm not near you. That and you obviously don't really like me. You weren't near enough to me that anyone would condemn you. I guess you really didn't consider how much I'd irk you later, did you?" I finished in a huff. He stared at me in disbelief, his mouth slightly open like he was about to make a retort. Finally, he gathered himself enough to be angry.

"You think I regret saving _your_ life?" his mouth was moving in faster, clipped movements that almost made me stop and back up but I held firm.

"If you didn't, you could've fooled me," I said softly before turning quickly and leaving the room leaving him staring after me. _Not a bad ending if I do say so myself and I do._ I thought as I walked briskly down the hall toward the dreaded gym class.

When I finally arrived home, I was exhausted. Both Eric and Tyler asked me to the dance after that conversation with Edward. What happened to girl's choice?! It's not like I was flirting with them or trying to lead them on. How to deal with overly friendly boys? If I'm not careful, I could eventually get charged with assault.

As I walked into the house with a heavy sigh, I saw the light on the answering machine flashing again. Someone was calling again. They really should wait till Charlie comes home or learn their lesson about calling me. I concentrated on making dinner but my mind began to wander back to Edward's words. I was now prohibited from even becoming friends with him.

I wasn't interesting enough... but it's better then being too interesting. The first week of school was almost unbearable because of being so darn new and interesting to these kids whose grandparents grew up together. Also, this is home to several chatty people that I figured that everyone knows something about everyone else that they weren't supposed to know.

Before my thoughts could take on a much more mellow tenor, I sliced the skin between my thumb and pointer finger as I was dicing the chicken. With a cry of pain, I quickly abandoned the meal and snatched a rag to put pressure on the cut before it bled all over the counter. As the scent of salt and rust reached my nostrils, sweat began to glisten on my forehead as I reached for the sink to wash off the odor.

The cold, running water did the trick and I was able to bandage the wound tightly in sterile, white gauze. It throbbed demandingly for a little while longer as I moved to sit down. Chicken was no longer on the menu for tonight.

Instead, when Charlie arrived home, we ordered a tasty, hot, and safe pizza. While we waited for the pizza to arrive, we settled down to talk about the Saturday or the dance and me going to Seattle. I was only hoping that this would be painless.

"Will you be back in time for the dance?" he predictably asked. I stared at him for a minute before resting my chin on the backs of both hands. We didn't say anything for a moment before he blushed. I didn't have to explain to him that a dance would have people dancing in rhythm to music that I couldn't hear. Plus, I was a complete klutz. I wouldn't get out of that experience without further damaging myself and/or others.

He smiled and we were on the same page once again until he got up, responding to a doorbell as a light on the wall flashed six times. The light was my doorbell. I also had one in my room and the living room just for me. My excuse for not going to the dance was a go. I would never attend a dance if I could help it. Just then, Charlie returned with a box in his hand just the right size for our dinner for the night.

The following morning, I just barely managed to avoid the temptation of scratching the paint job on that pretty silver Volvo of Edward's as I found a parking space at school. As I got out of the car, there stood Edward Cullen leaning against my truck. I had to remind myself about his speed (though I still wasn't sure of the reason) before I put myself at ease.

"Hello, Edward," I said with no real warmth in my tone. He just smiled and then suddenly stiffened. His formerly honey golden eyes darkened to almost black in an instant as they zeroed in on my bandaged hand.

**

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A/N:** I'm just oodles of fun aren't I? I decided to leave you guys with this just because A) I can. And B) I didn't feel like writing anything else today.

Toodle-loo!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **Um… I, err… My bad? I didn't mean to randomly disappear for months if that helps. That aside, I'm going to continue with the story and finish it. Since it's been a while, some of my ideas floated off into oblivion never to rise again but I have new ideas and thoughts that are a little less sarcastic. This'll be pretty interesting for me to write since the me of the time I began writing this is almost as much a stranger to me as some of the other authors on here. I would've liked to see how different the story ending of that me would've been from the current me. Confused? Anyway, I won't keep you waiting any longer.

**Disclaimer:** I am not Stephanie Meyers. I own nothing except my squeaky ducky named Fred.

* * *

_**An Ode to Silence**_

I'd never seen his eyes change colors that fast although watching them slowly shift to black had become a hobby of mine. Edward's hands tightened into fists as he gritted his teeth. His eyes flashed more emotions than I'd ever seen him even hint at, disappointment, worry, fear, fury, and finally, determination. Normally, I might've said something to mirror my words yesterday but there was going on with him than simple hatred or trying to decide what to say.

My bandaged hand made him react like this and though I wasn't sure why, it felt very dangerous to interrupt. I didn't move, I barely breathed, and I sure consider even allowing a twitch of my injured hand. Slowly, his jaw relaxed, his fist lost its tension, and his features rearranged themselves into a familiar one but his eyes remained stark black and he didn't seem to be breathing.

"I came to apologize for the way things ended yesterday. I don't regret saving you in the least but I felt that it would be… _better_ for you if we weren't friends," Edward's lips formed the words perfectly. He was my favorite person to see talk.

"Then let's clear up that misconception. Would you like to be my friend?" I asked, straight to the point.

"It would be prudent for you not be my friend," he paused watching my disapproving expression and changed tracks, "but I never said I didn't want to be." He was so confusing but somehow I thought I understood. He believed it was dangerous for me. I'd already decided long ago that he couldn't be human so this probably related. That meant he himself was dangerous to me or maybe it was a problem with secrecy. His race, whatever it is, has stayed hidden all this time so naturally they would have a way to ensure it remained that way.

"Then we will be friends until I become more conscientious about my safety," I said partially just to enjoy his reaction since it seemed that the danger had passed for the time being. His reaction was a perfect, wide eyed look of surprise but I realized I'd gone too far. I knew he expected a completely different sort of reaction from me. In fact, that would not have been my reaction if I hadn't realized the probable reason behind him ignoring me so I softened it. "Or are you just concerned that you have an annoying bad habit that I could pick up?"

"I'll see you in class," he said. Then he added an afterthought, "Hope your hand heals soon." Thus the conversation ended and he left.

**Alice POV:**

_Where did Edward go? He didn't come to class with me after he dropped us off…_ I wondered absently before that thought became more clouded with worry that he would do something reckless involving Bella. Quickly, I searched for his future and sure enough I was met with something that certainly wasn't there yesterday. It was a scene of my family but there was an addition to it.

Bella was seated on my brother's lap but it really seemed like she belonged there as the vision moved and Emmett made her blush causing uproarious laughter from him and a low laugh from Edward. As the vision faded, I appeared and grabbed Bella's arm to take her somewhere.

I was confused. What exactly did he do to make this a possibility now but at the moment, it seemed best not to interfere and only keep a lookout as things progress. It would be wonderful if this vision came true but things could very easily change. Too easily. _I hope you know what you're doing, Edward. _I thought to my brother as he strolled through the door just before the bell rang.

**Bella POV:**

The rest of the morning had gone begun its downward trend the moment I walked into class. I was late. Mr. Mason made certain to point out my tardiness and I got pulled into a beach trip for the weekend when it would only be high forties at best by the guys I rejected for the dance. By lunchtime, I was tired and pleased just to watch my friends chat even though I wasn't really trying to understand what they were saying.

When we passed through the doors to the cafeteria, I looked to his table. That was getting to be an irreversible habit. Someday we'll have a twenty year reunion and I'll walk in here and still look to that table even if all reason says that they shouldn't be there. Edward was seated next to Alice this time and they were talking for once. Once Alice glanced over at my bandaged hand but then they returned to their conversation.

The rest of the group was watching them speak this time instead of gazing off into different directions. Something was up. Curiosity nibbled at me as to what they were talking about but I reluctantly followed my group to get food and sit down. I spent my lunch zoning out and turning the conversation I'd had with Edward over in my mind as I munched. His eyes suddenly turning black shouldn't mean anything as far as his emotions.

The cycle of them shifting colors was too regular and gradual although he did seem to be slightly more irritable when they were black. I'd assumed they'd always just stay on that track like clockwork or a regular human cycle of eating or sleeping. The idea that his eyes could suddenly shift like that changed my idea but I wasn't sure what it meant.

All too soon, people began getting up and it was time for biology. When I arrived at the classroom, I settled into my seat to wait for Mr. Banner and Edward to arrive. Mr. Banner arrived and began teaching but Edward never showed. For a minute I was confused but then the lesson suddenly became more interesting. Blood typing. We were doing blood typing of all things.

As the tale-tell scent of rust and salt wafted to my nose, my stomach heaved. The smell was quickly overpowering me as my ears started ringing. I needed to leave. I should've gotten out of there but all I could do was lay my cheek against the counter, close my eyes, and try to stay conscious by any means. That included pinching my hand under the desk and counting to thirty in my head.

I didn't try anything dangerous like breathing in through my nose or lifting my head. Either one could send me over the edge to throwing up, fainting, or both. Some unbearably long time after it began which might've only been ten minutes, I felt a large hand on my shoulder. It was probably Mr. Banner's. Since I didn't know what he was saying, I settled for the easy and natural response. Moaning and opening my eyes.

The sight in front of me made me grimace. There were three, talking Mr. Banners and I was almost certain there was only one. I was able to pick out the word 'walk' from one of the three though so I nodded. Mike came around my side and helped me to my feet and slowly we trudged out of the room.

Even the fresh air didn't help much to clear away the feeling that I was about to pass out. Eventually, we made it just out of sight of the biology building and I couldn't bear to take another step.

"Mike, please just let me sit for a minute," I asked desperately. I registered the concerned look he wore as he helped me to the ground but the only important thing to me at the moment was to slump over to the ground and not throw up. The sidewalk was damp and freezing but it was infinitely better then walking.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to rest there as long as I would've liked. The sidewalk disappeared from beneath me and I opened my eyes in surprise. Where had Edward come from? It seemed that Edward had come out from wherever he was ditching from and saw me with Mike. I doubted Mike agreed to let him take me though.

"No, not good. Don't feel good…" I mumbled incoherently, looking for something to look at that could steady me. I found that in trying to concentrate on Edward's lips forming perfect words.

"Don't look good either," he said with a smirk as he carried me without any obvious effort at all but I knew he was strong already. "So you faint at the sight of blood?" he asked. The jerk seemed entertained by the notion. "And not even your own blood." Yeah, he was having a grand ol' time at my expense.

I kept my eyes open for the rest of the ordeal so I could respond properly but I would've loved to enjoy the pleasure of closing my eyes again. When Edward and I were alone for a minute, I directed my eyes to him.

"How did you see me? I thought for sure you were ditching when you weren't there," I mumbled, not trusting my voice to be very clear.

"I was in my car, listening to a CD. Ditching every now and then is healthy." As I considered his response, I just let my mind wander down all the bunny trails it wanted to without scolding it and making it return to things that made sense. The bunny trails ended with one little question. Such a dangerous question to wonder. Was it because of they were blood typing today, the day you ditched? Was it because of the blood?

**

* * *

A/N:** I'm going to end it there even though the conversation between them actually isn't over. This is the ending I'd pictured when I dreamed up this chapter though so here it'll stand for a bit. Maybe I'm not being totally honest by saying that though. It's also because it's 1am and I have school tomorrow morning! ^^ Anyway, tell me what you thought. I want to know if you consider it better with Alice's POV in there or if it should've stayed out. I'm not Edward who can read your thoughts. Thank you.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **You'll all be pleased to hear that I since I worked my butt off, I'm a week ahead on my homework for several subjects and feeling pretty free without the extra load. In other words, you guys get a bonus chapter. But, here's the thing… I'm also going to have to be absent for about a week starting this Friday. You'll survive. It's just a week. Oh! By the way, today's chapter is in Edward's POV.

**Disclaimer:** I am not Stephanie Meyers. I own nothing except my squeaky ducky named Fred.

* * *

_**An Ode to Silence**_

I watched Bella's expression shift after I responded. What did she take from that simple every day answer? I wished for the hundredth time I could read her mind. She was always doing and saying whatever I least expected no matter how I tried to prepare myself. Once in a while, I catch her with this look on her face that makes me wonder just how much she sees without ever saying anything.

I found myself following the minds of those surrounding her, watching her through everyone else's eyes. It's likely that I would still be watching her in that manner except that Alice commented that I was managing to stalk her better than some humans could so much as dream about. Even with all of that, I still had no idea what was going on in her head though. It was irksome be almost clueless about the real her as Mike.

After a brief period of time, she lifted her chocolate colored eyes to mine and I was surprised at their depth. There was a fierce intelligence and wit lighting her eyes but also a sorrow, loneliness, and strength not belonging to a girl her age. What had she gone through to get to this point, to possess eyes like that? For a moment, I thought I saw her but then the moment passed and she shattered the silence.

"Is your family close? I heard that you and your family like to go hiking when it's sunny," she asked casually. Well, that question came from left field but I didn't see any harm in it. In fact, it seemed much more dangerous not to answer it properly.

"There are no secrets in my family. As for hiking, the forests around here are very beautiful and sunny days are rare enough that it would be a shame to waste them." She nodded and I could see her turning that over in her head, wondering how that must be.

"That's how my mom and I used to be. She always tried so hard to be responsible and a good parent…" she laughed at some memory, "But then she'd forget one of her appointments or where she placed something and then that façade crumbled and I was the adult again. Sometimes, she wanted to take care of everything for me again like she did up until I was five and it was always interesting to let her try once in a while."

"Do you miss her?" I asked, unexpectedly drawn in by her memories.

"I miss her. I miss Phoenix… but this change needed to happen." Before I could open my mouth to ask why, the nurse bustled in with a cold compress in her hand. Carefully, she laid the pack across Bella's forehead with a smile.

"Would you like me to check out that hand of yours?" the woman asked and I stiffened. I would probably have to leave the room if that bandage came off even though the already diluted smell of her blood had become even less potent during the day. Fortunately, Bella shook her head and sat up and the door opened just enough for a red-headed Ms. Cope to stick her head in. It was open just enough for a faint whiff of a dark and seductive scent to reach my nose. It wasn't nearly as nice as Bella's though, even diluted.

"We got another one," she said and Bella quickly hopped down from the cot, handing her cold compress back to the nurse as Mike staggered in with another boy from biology.

_Didn't even get to help Bella for very long. Stupid Cullen… Now I even got stuck with Stephens just to come back this way,_ Mike grumbled internally as he put forth an effort to look helpful and valiant for Bella. Mike and his issues aside, there was still visible and dripping blood on the boy's hand.

"Oh no," I muttered, "Go out to the office, Bella." She looked confused. I could tell she wasn't going to do what I told her. Like she'd heard my thought and wanted to prove me wrong, she took one breath and then darted out of the infirmary. I was stunned but quickly followed her. Here was yet another example of her always doing just what I didn't expect. It was part of what made her so special.

"You actually listened to me," I said softly.

"You were wrong earlier, you know," she stated, adding to my confusion, "I don't get sick from the sight of blood." Now I was really confused. "I get sick from the smell of blood… that rust and salt smell. I smelled the blood." Her nose wrinkled up and she cringed.

Bella could _smell_ blood? That was a first, for a human anyway. She just couldn't stand to be normal could she? I didn't understand how she alone was so different from people I'd encountered before. I was becoming very glad to have met her and that was a dangerous thought to have.

"What?" she asked and I snapped out of my musings.

"It's nothing," I dismissed her question as Mike came out from the infirmary and immediately turned to Bella. His thoughts… were so unoriginal. I'd seen such thoughts of spineless jealousy thousands of time and I didn't even want to guess how many I would hear them again in the future.

Bella kept the conversation between her and Mike simple and short and then he left looking pitiful and depressed. _Poor Bella, _I thought to myself.

"Gym," she groaned, appearing honestly distressed. I had to fight back a chuckle when I remembered her usual performance in gym as seen through the eyes of the innocent bystanders she called classmates.

"I can take care of that," I said to her in low tones. She looked at me with such a grateful expression, I let go of that chuckle I'd withheld. She was simply absurd.

**Bella's POV:**

Edward was amazing. The more I saw of and spoke to regular him, the more I truly felt relaxed around him. I never could really relax around anyone else because they either spoke too fast, hated me, or they followed me around like a fan club even though I did enjoy the company of some. I liked Angela. She had a calming presence around her but I didn't know her well. It figures though. I actually got along best with someone who wasn't even human once we got past the original aggression.

I gained more ideas about Edward today alone than I'd had in the past three weeks combined. First was his reaction to my bandaged hand. I hadn't seen him so much as glance at it before his eyes suddenly turned black and he stiffened. He only looked at it right after that. Then he skipped blood typing although I could understand that one pretty easily. If he wasn't human, then his blood would probably be different.

Finally, there was his knowledge that Stephens had pricked his finger and that it wouldn't be good for me to stick around. He could've just seen the blood but it made me wonder if he could smell the blood too? How good was his sense of smell? Good enough that he could smell the blood through my bandage? But if that was it, why didn't his eyes turn black when he smelled Stephens' blood?

My intuition flickered and I was reminded of something though. My first day in school, Edward had glared at me with a pair of positively livid black eyes. Mike told me that he'd never seen him like that before and then he was missing from school for the rest of the week. I'd thought it seemed like it was painful for him to be near me during biology too.

The way he'd acted this morning was like a weaker version of his reaction to me on my first day. If I was right, he had a better sense of smell than I'd originally thought, the black eyes meant he was hungry, he fed on blood, and I was pretty high up on his list of favorite foods. If humans could have favorite foods, why not vampires?

The fact that he drank blood said he was a vampire. That meant that his siblings and adopted mother and father were vampires too. I was guessing the vampire myth about not being able to go into the sun was true because he and his family always went 'hiking' those few sunny days. I couldn't help but wonder how many of those myths were actually true and how many were just cover up or made up to make vampires scarier.

I met all these new ideas with simple curiosity. If he wanted to kill me for a snack, then he probably could do that easily without trying to get close to me first. Besides, he saved my life before so now I couldn't bring myself to be afraid of him even though I had no doubt he could be extremely frightening if he so wished. My ideas were somewhat formed and I thought I knew what he was even if it was rather crazy and out there. Should I ask him about it? I wasn't sure yet.

By now, we were near the parking lot so I veered left toward the safety of my truck to rest my confused brain. I didn't get very far though when something grabbed my coat and halted any advance I might've made. Surprised, I faced him.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked with an expression somewhere between an angry father and a security guard, delighted at catching someone doing something they weren't supposed to be doing.

"I'm going home?" I was going home instead of gym, right?

"Didn't you hear me promise to take you safely home?" Actually I didn't. He was faced away from me too so I didn't even see him promise that. "Do you think I'm going to let you drive in your condition?" He seemed to still be caught in that father/security guard thing.

"What condition? I'm fine. And what about my truck? I actually need that thing," I pleaded, not liking where this was going.

"I'll have Alice drop it off after school," he stated with finality and immediately started striding toward his car while dragging me along behind him. This was one of those bad situations I promised myself I would never get into here. It wasn't that I was going to get into a car with a vampire to whom I was probably one of his favorite brands of food. No, it was that I was deaf and had some problems reading people's lips when they were mostly sideways even though I'd been practicing.

I tried maneuvering myself out of my jacket to escape but he didn't bat an eye and twirled me around to grab my arm and tow me that way. I was doomed. When we arrived at his car, he released me to climb into the driver's side of the shiny Volvo. However, I figured that since he wanted to take me in his car, there would be no chance I would get to take my truck anywhere. I reluctantly climbed in.  


* * *

  
**A/N:** Well, there you go. This was one of those chapters that developed a mind of its own. I didn't plan on her figuring it out. In fact, all I thought she would get to would be wondering about his sense of smell and then being confuzzled about his black eyes and what they meant. There is probably something in there that feels kinda incomplete. That's because I had some ideas while writing this and just as I was about to include them in somewhere, they floated away. Oops. Anyway, tell me what you think. Do you want her to blurt out something like, "Doesn't my blood bother you?" or do you want her to hold onto this knowledge for a bit longer? Comments, questions, concerns? Whatever. ^.-


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Eww. My homework decided to eat me alive the moment I returned. I finally managed to hold it off long enough to write this one though so I hope you like it. Now, I have a project due next Monday so enjoy it and I'll try to get everything done so I can write up a new one.

**Disclaimer:** I am not Stephanie Meyers. I own nothing except my squeaky ducky named Fred.

* * *

_**An Ode to Silence**_

I sat panicking as I watched Edward drive. Trying to distract myself a little bit, I glanced around the car. The little numbers on the stereo showed he was playing some kind of music. (I could feel the little vibrations of rhythm in my nose.) I could feel the steady motion of the car. Rain pelted against the windshield and streaked past the car windows on the sides. Everywhere I looked stood another example of how my ears didn't work.

I'd never been so hypersensitive about it before and it was terrible. Being trapped in a car with Mike or Jessica driving would be much worse for keeping my secret and I was going to be caught in that this weekend but if only for Edward I wanted to just tell them all. Let them bite their tongues off in surprise. I beat the hearing world at their own game. I slipped into their midst without their knowledge and even managed to handle being pretty popular.

For all this time of carefully hiding my deafness, my mind was panicking about it now three times as much as the first day. _Calm down, Bella. Breathe__._ I thought to myself. I couldn't overreact like an idiot. This was a one time thing with Edward and the others wouldn't see it unless I spelled it out at this point. I turned to watch Edward again and watched as his expression grew slightly troubled for some reason.

"You said that 'this change needed to happen,' what did you mean by that?" he said with his head turned my way just enough for me to understand. Relief so sudden it was very nearly painful settled over me. This was doable. No big deal. It would be just like school. I had wanted to speak to him anyways since his presence somehow always managed to lift my spirits.

"My mother got remarried last September," I stated. I didn't wish to bore him with what was certain to be a story like any he's heard before. Lots of kids had separated parents.

"And you don't like him," Edward guessed with a knowing glint in his eye. I might've been wrong but I thought he seemed slightly surprised too. How odd.

"No, no. Phil is a good guy. Too young maybe, but we get along just fine."

"So, why didn't you stay with them?" his lips formed the words slightly slower than usual as if he were asking the question of himself as well as me. Stranger still was the fact that it seemed a little late in the year to be asking why I came here but I allowed myself to be enraptured by his eyes and the movements of his lips.

"Phil travels a lot. Because of his career, he has to hop from city to city regularly and sometimes it takes a while before he can come back home."

"And your mother sent you here so that she could travel with him," he assumed.

"She stayed with me at first, but she missed him. It made her unhappy… so I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Dad," I finished. I remembered that I despised this place at first. Now, it seemed that I wouldn't jump at the chance to go back to Phoenix after all. He paused, watching me with an expression of pure confusion. Then suddenly, something clicked in his eyes as comprehension and… awe entered into the equation.

"Do you approve of her choice in Phil?" he asked, regaining his composure.

"It doesn't matter. I want her to be happy. As long as he's not doing anything illegal or hurting her in any way, I don't believe I have the right to dictate who she should marry."

"That's very generous… I wonder if she would extend the same courtesy to you," he said with his lips moving a little less than normal. That meant he was speaking quieter but it also meant it was almost undecipherable.

"I don't know. The situation is totally different. She has always worried and watched over me, fighting so I could have every opportunity available to me. She sacrificed so much for me and likely would've kept trying desperately to do so if I hadn't begun pushing her to pick up some of her old hobbies. I encouraged her to date again so she could find a special person one more time and stay happy.

So, for me, I don't know if she'd be overjoyed that I found someone I'd like to spend my time on earth with, or terribly frightened that she's going to have to give her baby away," I tried to explain the situation to him as best I could for a reason I couldn't name. I remembered the time I'd come home crying after school and she went into a frenzy of uncertainty of what to do.

"No one too scary then," he teased, a smirk pulling up the corners of his mouth.

"What do you mean by scary?" I asked, thinking of Edward himself, "A big ol' biker with extensive tattoos saying everything from 'rose' to various vulgar words?"

"That's one definition, I suppose."

"What definition did you have in mind?" My mind wandered as I asked this, leaping to images of a more vampire-like Edward; images that quickly got overwritten with the memory of him thrusting out his hands to protect me from Tyler's van and him picking me up and taking me to infirmary earlier in the day.

"Do you think _I_ could be scary?" He raised one eyebrow. I watched as he took on the appearance of a harmless boy trying to see if he could be frightening but it rang false both because of my knowledge about him and that it seemed like he really wanted to know my answer to that question and not just for his ego.

"Yes. I have no doubt you could frightening if you chose to do so," I said with my eyes directed to my lap. I figured the truth would be better. Even though I was fantastic at lying, it seemed in poor taste to resort to it frequently. My eyes flickered back to him and I noted the troubled look had returned in all seriousness.

"Are you scared of me now?"

"Not in the least. You don't want to hurt me. You could've easily killed me the very first day I arrived and made it so you would never be so much as considered…" It all came out at once without me so much as thinking about them. I was as surprised at the words I felt my mouth and vocal chords forming as he was.

Actually, as I looked at the expression of utter shock and astonishment he wore, he was much more taken aback than I was. Finally, a sort of depressed defeat flooded over his eyes and I noticed the car wasn't moving anymore. We were stopped outside of my house but I felt that it wouldn't be good to stop without fully explaining myself now that I'd unwittingly dived in. It was dangerous. What had I done?

"What are you talking about? Don't tell me I strike you as murderous." His face was light and humorous but his jaw was just a little bit too tight, his body was rigid as a board and he was clenching the steering wheel a mite bit too hard. He was scared, some instinct told me. I glanced at his upset eyes and immediately felt worse about it than I already felt.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I shouldn't have said anything. It's dangerous right? I don't know much about vampire rules and politics." He flinched at my words but as I went on, a look of pure horror danced across his face. Maybe that idea hadn't occurred to him yet. What had I done? Anguish made itself apparent in the lines of his face but I couldn't look away.

I started to become scared too but not of him, heavens no. I was scared for him. What if he was punished because I figured out his race's secret and they saw it as his fault? If it's bad, I should take responsibility, it began with that van incident after all… My mind whirled around in circles.

"How long… How long have you known?"

"I only figured it out recently," I bit my lip at telling him just how recently. That would probably be counterproductive. "I've known about your speed, strength, and not being human for a while though." Guilt. Pure guilt wound itself around my throat as I watched him, his eyes growing wilder.

"If you knew, why did you get into the car with me?..."

"Well reason 'A' is that you practically dragged me over," I replied with an amused look on my face. Then suddenly, I realized how that must've sounded to him and backpedaled over that misstep, "You wouldn't have had to drag me over if it wasn't for my own problem though. Totally unrelated to you. Not your fault." _Very eloquent, Bella. _

Confusion and concern lit his eyes for a minute before he shook it off and tried a different approach.

"What convinced you?"

"For a while, all I had were a bunch of observations without any theory to tack them to but then the idea of blood came in and a lot of things fit suddenly but…"

"What?" he demanded impatiently.

"It didn't matter. Not really." Surprise so pure it was comical froze on his face for a good half minute before he turned his face away, contemplating. The car was utterly still and I felt powerless to break that stillness until suddenly, his head whipped around toward me again.

"It didn't _matter_?" Pleading anger was evident to the core of him. Had he wanted me to be scared and run away as soon as I knew? If I could be friends with him when he thought that I thought he was human, why couldn't I be friends with him now when he knew that I knew? Oh yeah, the danger that wasn't just from him I'd assumed. Now probably wouldn't be the best time to bring that up.

"No. It doesn't matter to me what you are. Why should it?" I held firm and looked him in the eye.

"You don't care if I'm a monster? If I'm not _human_?"

"No," I repeated. He rubbed his face and forehead, seeming to be disgusted with me. I sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." Even though I knew something like this might happen if I said anything, it was still difficult.

"No," the movement of his lips startled me, "I'd rather know what you're thinking -even if what you're thinking is insane."

"But wasn't I right? How is that insane?" I asked, knowingly putting confusion into my voice, tired as it was from speaking so much. I hadn't had such a long conversation in a while. It felt weird be getting so used to using speech instead of my hands.

"That's not what I was referring to. 'It doesn't matter'!" he quoted, obviously questioning my sanity.

"I _am_ right," I mused, dodging his comment. It probably irritated him a little bit but that was okay. It wasn't good to steam so much.

"Does it _matter_?" Ah, he was still steaming. Divert, divert!

"Not really… but I _am_ curious." I paused. "And don't give me that 'curiosity killed the cat' bit, okay?" He was suddenly resigned and sighed. It didn't seem right to leave it at this but if I began asking my questions and he actually answered them, we'd be here till nightfall and I didn't wish to have to explain to Dad about why Edward was here and where my truck was. "Will you be at school tomorrow?" I asked, suddenly timid.

His jaw tightened but he relaxed it almost instantly and dialed a number on his phone. Whoever he was calling picked up immediately… and Edward had to hold the phone away from his ear.

"Emmett, could we postpone the trip a day?" He glanced at me briefly. "Something just came up." He held the phone away from his ear again with a pained expression. "Yes, I know. I'll be there soon." He wrinkled his nose and hung up. "I'll see you tomorrow then," he said with a slight smile on his face.

"Promise?" I asked. I still had no way of knowing I hadn't just seriously messed everything up and felt the need to even just a little bit of reassurance.

"I promise." And that was that. His eyes were still troubled as he drove away but I felt like things would get better now nonetheless.  


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**A/N:** Whew. That took forever. It was probably the most challenging chapter I've ever written and it wasn't all that great either. =p Still, I hope you are satisfied. Penny for your thoughts?


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **Well, gee. Thirty-one reviews for one chapter… I'm in my happy zone, leave me alone. This chapter is in Edward's POV. It seemed fitting after she dropped such a big bomb on him without warning last time.

**Disclaimer:** I am not Stephanie Meyers. The only thing I can claim ownership of is the blood in my veins.

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_**An Ode to Silence**_

I drove back to the school in a daze. Bella knew. She _knew_ and didn't run away. She even asked if I would be in school tomorrow! No, she didn't just know, she knew much more than she'd said in that conversation. Every sentence that left her mouth hinted agonizingly at knowledge she wasn't supposed to have - things she was never supposed to realize.

I didn't understand.

It was all wrong. She was supposed to cringe away from me like any _normal_ human would've because of their basic instincts that they didn't even realize. How was it that she could not only completely ignore her instincts but even know that I could easily kill her and yet still be able to calmly sit in the car with me?

Was she suicidal or mentally ill? How long was the 'while' she mentioned that she knew I wasn't human? Even throughout this, I was still confused by one particular phrase she'd said. _"You wouldn't have had to drag me over if it wasn't for my own problem though. Totally unrelated to you. Not your fault." _What was her problem?

I wondered if she'd ever feel the urge to explain that to me. Sometimes, I'd catch her doing something just a little bit off. Her reactions, voice, laugh, and most everything she did was somehow slightly wrong. It was as if she was always pretending and was very good at it but the small differences and the larger ones were going to slowly drive me to the brink of insanity.

Finally, there was the irresistible attraction she posed to me. I inhaled her devilishly sweet scent and sighed. I didn't believe that I actually loved her yet, but she was exactly what I wanted most and could never have. I wanted to hold her without any danger to her. I wanted to protect her from everything and even herself.

I wasn't sure about what all entailed keeping her safe from herself but the number one thing was her clumsiness. Her dangerous instincts and maybe her questionable mental stability could be added on too though. This was all beside the point, however. I couldn't even trust myself to remain in control around her. I was terrified that I would someday find my eyes glowing red with the precious blood that used to light her cheeks.

Such a terrible fear didn't change my distinct desire to touch her though. I wondered if she could possibly feel the same way. What was I to her? What did I want to be to her? No. That wasn't the right question. What _should_ I want to be to her? I didn't have any idea what sort of feelings were behind her heart.

When I pulled up to the curb of the school, my siblings were waiting. Rosalie was drenched with an expression similar to what I would expect on an angel of death, Emmett was hanging his head guiltily while glaring at me, and Jasper was alternately quietly steaming and curious as to why Alice was practically vibrating in place with a smile so wide it seemed her face would crack

They piled in immediately. Jasper and gorgeously furious Rosalie were in back and Emmett took shotgun. Jasper stiffened with he caught a whiff of Bella's gloriously tantalizing scent. He couldn't understand why I was doing this either. He only threatened that he would do whatever was necessary to keep Alice safe regardless.

Emmett looked at me curiously when he smelled the leftover scent left particularly potent in that seat.

_What happened with Bella that you are late and we're postponing the hunting trip? _

"You'll have to find out tomorrow. I'd like to stay in one piece as long as possible," I muttered just in the range of his hearing only.

_Ouch kid. That bad, huh?_

In response I only grimaced slightly. He let out a low whistle, raising his eyebrows.

_Rose is going to be ticked. Jasper won't exactly be a ray of sunshine either about whatever it is that causing this. I trust you worked our hunting trip like this to avoid the line of fire and give them a chance to cool down?_

I nodded, letting him know that he was right about everything he'd thought. He looked pretty taken aback but he relaxed quickly. Emmett had gotten to know me very well over the many decades - almost as well as Alice. He may be almost naive in his thoughts at times but he was smart and definitely knew better than to say anything even as he glanced at Rosalie and Jasper nervously.

Alice pranced around to my side and held out her hand expectantly. I knew she still longed to be allowed to speak to Bella and from her thoughts, she knew that Bella really did know about us being vampires too. I could also see the resignation to wait until I said it would be fine but that didn't mean she was happy about it. She already loved Isabella Swan.

With a wry smile, I dropped the keys into her palm and the instant they touched her ice cold skin, she disappeared and was running toward Bella's truck. I winced as she turned the key in the ignition and the ancient thing roared to life. I couldn't see how Bella could completely ignore the racket. It was like she didn't even hear it. I supposed she'd just gotten used to it.

With speed, we dropped off her truck in her driveway and turned towards home. Bella hadn't looked out her window in response to the noise that had triumphed over the rain. Maybe she wasn't there or was busy. I wished I could just hear her thoughts to find out but quickly rebuked myself for such thoughts about her. Maybe Emmett and Jasper were right. I could very well be getting obsessed with her.

When we arrived, we immediately dispersed without a word. We all had our pastimes that we'd gotten to be magnificently good at since we'd been doing them for so long. We didn't even sleep to cease our mindless acts of ridding ourselves of an eternity of free time.

For the first day in a long time though, I felt drawn to my shiny black piano. I pulled out the bench smoothly and uncovered the pearly white keys. I pushed down a D chord with my pale fingers. Instantly, my family perked up and their minds were tuned to my piano. Esme's held particular joy. It was a fact that shamed me. I'd left the piano for too long.

Carefully, I began to play a tune and what began as a simple plunking of keys into a basic pattern, soon began to weave itself into a much more complex song with harmonies and raw beauty. Esme came up to stand behind me. Watching my fingers dance across the keys, pulling music from it. It was compelling, demanding to be finished and completed.

"Does it have a name?" Esme breathed through a smile. She loved listening to me play.

"Not yet," was my simple reply as I toyed a note or three, trying to make them work in to the song that my fingertips beckoned.

"What is it about? Is there a story behind it?" Her eyes were shining and her face was almost glowing. Alice looked up and watched Esme's joy consumed face as her eyes greedily ran over the notes and then back to my face. With a smile, Alice returned to what she was working on.

"It's… a lullaby." Only as I said them did I realize the truth of why the song was coming to me now. It was about and for a certain girl who slept on a narrow bed in a room not so very far from where I sat with her dark hair sprawled across her pillow. Sometimes she smiled in the night. Other times she cried and her tears spilled down her delicate cheeks that were so often flushed with blood.

Once I knew that, those three notes cooperated and easily showed me what other notes needed their turn. The lullaby was alive now and my hands were only too happy to let the keys sing. The tune floated through the air, leaving to embrace that sleeping girl and tuck her in. I knew what it wanted but how it must end. She was perfect with her brown eyes twinkling and no one had the right to change her. It would be wrong.

I couldn't bear to leave her now though. No, I wanted to always, always protect her even if time passed and she no longer realized that I was around. I wanted to follow her life but knew that I could not be a part of it. Not like I really longed to be, with her as a man, but I would settle. The more I could about what I really wanted, the more I realized that I sounded like I loved her. Although she was special, I still clung to the lifeline that I was only caught up in a mix of fascination and infatuation.

"Oh! Jasper, guess what?" Alice piped up suddenly, breaking through the confusion of my thoughts.

"What, Alice?" he asked though his attention was mostly still on the complex chess board between him and Emmett.

"Peter and Charlotte are coming to visit next week! Isn't that nice?"

I tensed immediately. Her sweet blood did not appeal to only me as I'd seen through the thoughts of my brothers. I knew that visiting pair never hunted here. I knew that but I couldn't help the nonsensical worry from flooding into my mind. Those two were Jasper's brother of sorts and his lover but they hadn't chosen to hunt animals and I could not trust that Bella would be safe. Without her, I couldn't see the point of the world. She was everything I wanted most and exactly what I could never have. On an impulse, I got up and left the house.

_Exactly like a crazy person._ Emmett thought dryly.

_He's really lost it. _The thought belonged to Jasper.

I ran through the falling twilight until I came to her little two story house. There, I watched over the house as the lights within the house began turning off. I waited as I listened to the tone of Charlie's thoughts. They slowly faded into incoherency and finally, the last remaining light in turned off in Bella's room. Her house was at peace in the normalcy and the residents of the house were going to sleep and rest for another day in rainy Forks. Eventually, time enough had passed that I considered it safe that no one would see or hear of me.

I oiled the window and it slid open silently as I slipped in like a shadow of the night. A breeze drifted through the open window, rustling the papers on her desk quietly and brushing the cheek of the sleeping girl. Once inside, I glanced around her room and let my eyes rest on her. She was exactly like I pictured her at my house as I composed the lullaby. She was breathing deep and even with an expression of peace on her face. Suddenly, her eyelids snapped open and she looked at me. I froze.

"Wait," she said. I wondered if she had been waiting for me. She had not appeared surprised at any level by a person coming into her room through the window and she surely hadn't just woken up from the way her voice was and the look in her eyes. The situation was getting more and more ridiculous. Slowly, she sat up and shifted her body around toward me.

"I wondered if you would come tonight," she said and paused before elaborating a bit, "I once saw a blur of you outside my window." My eyes widened and I stared at her like a startled animal. She shouldn't have been able to see anything. For a normal human, even if they saw it, they would attribute it to sleepiness or a trick of the light.

"I admit I wasn't sure it was you but it reminded me of the blur I saw when I almost got hit by the van. Anyway, it seemed most likely to me that you would come tonight of all nights," she said sheepishly. It didn't sound as if she was very sure of her last statement either but it still disturbed me. She was certainly special all right.

She was waiting for me to respond, squinting slightly in the darkness to see me. Her heart was beating a steady thrum and her breathing was normal. She was not scared of me. She was not frightened by the idea that I'd snuck into her room in the middle of the night or that I'd possibly done it before. She was expecting it and waited for me with perfect acting of sleep and the utmost calm.

I should've noticed her heartbeat was just a little too elevated to be normal when I opened her window. No, I _had_ noticed it. It was careless of me but she had given my no other reason to think she had not been sleeping so I'd disregarded it. While my heart decided whether or not to sing because she was not screaming and my mind wondered once more about her mental stability which was getting to be more questionable the longer I knew her, I finally spoke up with a chuckle.

"Go to sleep, Bella," I said softly and jumped down from the window onto the grass of her yard. As I looked up to her window, she was standing there was a gentle smile on her face. Then she moved away to return to her bed for the night. As I ran through the forest on the way back to my house, my thoughts were a blissful jumble.

She hadn't closed her window.

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A/N:** A fair length for a chapter. I was rather happy with this one actually. It seemed to flow and never did it feel like I was really forcing it to go in a direction. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'll see if I can get a chapter up over the weekend. If not, it'll probably come on Tuesday. Feedback please?


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **This chapter is back in Bella's POV and yes, Edward's viewpoint will pop up more often now. I don't feel like constraining myself to have this mostly in Bella's POV all the time so I could end up doing some random things with the POVs so watch for that.

**Disclaimer:** I am not Stephanie Meyers. The only thing I can claim ownership of is the blood in my veins. That is, until some random vampire steals it.

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_**An Ode to Silence**_

I woke up to vibrating alarm clock and a gray morning. Normally, I might've met the clouds with casual dismay but I felt uncharacteristically giddy today. Edward had come to see me last night and he didn't seem angry. At the time, I hadn't believed he was really there but his pale beauty glimmering in the rare light of the moon was nothing that I could've dreamed up.

Eagerly, I tore off my covers and hopped off my bed onto the cold, wood floor. My eyes darkened dizzily due to my sudden departure from a horizontal position. I wobbled for a minute, trying to regain my balance and my eyesight before tip-toeing to the window through which Edward had fled. I remembered watching the way the grass bent away from his form to create an even more dazzling and surreal scene.

I closed my eyes and imagined his expression when he looked back at me for that one long moment. His long, graceful form had leaped through the midnight like a wraith and he'd vanished. The forest had taken him and its spindly branches closed around him, fully concealing him from the light and my human sight.

I was taken from my thoughts by the cold morning air and clouds threatening to rain on me before I closed the window. I shivered and sneezed once, twice before swiftly closing the window. Quickly, I dressed in clothes picked at random snatched my books and homework off my desk. I ran at full speed till I reached the stairs where I paused and carefully picked my way down the stairs.

When I arrived at school, I parked next to a kid disembarking from his old Packard. He cringed and covered an ear with his hand as he quickened his steps away from the parking lot. Was my truck loud? From the boy's reaction, I'd guess it was. I'd have to ask Charlie when I returned.

Shrugging to myself, I hefted my backpack and gingerly stepped onto the asphalt. As I looked around for the ones I called my friends, I found Mike, Jessica, and Angela standing by a bench. They waved to me and I ran to join them for a minute or two before we separated to go to our buildings. Jessica had apparently found out about what happened in biology from the smirk she wore but Mike kept his mouth shut. I could only be grateful to him about that though I was sure he wasn't telling only for the sake of his pride.

The morning classes went by quickly and without too much trauma. Jessica teased me relentlessly about fainting but I only completely lost what she was saying a few times. My skills in lip reading were first rate at this point from the invaluable time spent trying to decipher what she was saying but I hoped never be caught alone or where there wasn't much to distract her. She still scared me.

Finally, it was lunch time and I stepped into the cafeteria. My eyes automatically followed a trail to the Cullen table where Edward's four siblings sat. Confused, my gaze zigzagged through the room until they landed on Edward. I was drawn to him like a magnet but I resisted the tug at my heartstrings with much effort. Surely he wouldn't want me hanging on him all the time.

As I waded through my classmates toward the lunch line, it took a certain amount of strength not to stare at him. In fact, my thoughts were solely devoted to not ogling him. _Look at him casually after you go through the lunch line. Casually. Casually... _I bit my lip against my thoughts.

I grabbed a light lunch at random and was prepared to follow the flow to Jessica's usual table when I took my glance at Edward. It was so easy and natural, like gravity. Immediately, he met and captured my eyes with his own. With a slight gasp, I realized that I could no longer be bothered by Jessica's annoyed prodding. Seeing this, he smirked and motioned for me to come over. Mindlessly, I obeyed and tried desperately to stop the stupid grin spreading across my face.

Without a word being said, I set down my food, pulled out the chair across from him, and sat down. From there, Edward had his back to his siblings and I had an unobstructed view. The pixie girl, Alice, was watching us with interest but the others paid no mind. A couple seconds passed awkwardly between us until he opened his mouth to speak. I couldn't have him leading me around by the nose like a stupid sheep though so I spoke first.

"Edward, I was thinking last night." I began slowly.

"Oh no," he said in mock horror. For a moment, I thought real horror and dread flashed in his face but it was gone before I could assess if it was actually there or not.

"Quit. Correct me when and if I'm wrong but..." I bit my lip. There was so much that made an appearance in my mind. One bunny trail led to the next and the next and the next and I needed to keep somewhat on track. Finally, I thought I knew where I wanted to begin.

"This won't trouble your family will it? Me knowing?" I paused briefly, trying to ignore the stares and glares of his family that were suddenly fixed upon me, burning into me. "Also, what of my family and friends? I was sort of thinking that your race would have a higher power of sorts to keep the secret of your existence because I don't doubt that even vampires are prone to fits of insanity and carelessness. If there wasn't a darn good incentive to keep things quiet, it would be public knowledge." I fidgeted with my hands in my lap awkwardly. He hadn't said anything or yet so after a hesitation, I dived in head first.

"I suppose you haven't informed anyone of the little leak of information I pose and you haven't killed me or moved away either and no one would believe such a ridiculous story as the truth anyway. If they did, I would be further putting myself, you and your family, and whoever I told's lives at risk." I looked up to gauge his expression before I dared finish. His face held nothing. Just nothing. I swallowed but he had never begun to contradict me. Maybe he was too surprised by just how wrong I was.

"I realize more fully now that by informing you of my knowledge I was placing my life in your hands. But… what are you going to do now?" I was talking very quietly by the end.

Edward and his siblings all watched me carefully. Edward's gaze in particular was searching, observing me as if I were an alien. Jessica scrutinized every move I made with her beady little eyes under slightly frizzy hair. Mike sat beside her and his eyes constantly flashed from Edward to me. The two were a perfect pair. Meanwhile, Edward didn't seem to know how to respond. Finally, he regained himself although worry and horror had etched themselves into the lines of his face. I was red from all the eyes that followed my every move.

"You know, when talking about such a weighty matter as your life, you'd think you'd be just a little bit scared?" he asked somewhat hopefully for one reason or another. I merely shook my head. He watched me for a long moment and then sighed.

"The way you take everything in stride is disturbing. And to even come to these decisions, most people shy away from the thought of something like what you just admitted." He tried to give me another chance to say that I was frightened but I couldn't find any fear within me at that moment. I silently nodded, waiting for him to answer what I'd originally wanted.

"Your mind must be a scary place…" he said, looking to the side before his eyes quickly returned to mine. "You're right. That 'higher power' is called the Volturi, a vampire group that resides in Italy. My family for the most part shouldn't be bothered by you. Some of them, I could imagine wanting to turn you into their new plaything. As for your other question, your oblivious loved ones have no place in this as of yet. Let's keep it that way." He seemed half disturbed and half pleading in his desperately joking manner.

"I'm not going to tell. You trusted me." I couldn't convey all that I longed to say with words. I tried to push my emotions so they were visible in my eyes. It felt like it worked but most times it felt like that, it didn't. _I love you._

"Aren't you concerned about our diet?" he questioned.

"Confused mostly. I haven't heard of any frequent disappearances or deaths due to blood loss in the news around here and I'm pretty certain that I'm either your favorite flavor of blood or high up on that list but unless you enjoy playing with your food for a long time, you're not going to eat me. And… you are actually feeding, right? Yours eyes seem to change color with thirst." My eyebrows furrowed and I tilted my head to the side.

His lips quirked up, pleased somehow that there was something I hadn't figured out yet and he would have to tell me. As I continued, however, his expression drifted toward surprised before settling on probing and confused. After so long gathering and compiling observations, I was letting it all out.

"I wasn't hiding anything very well, was I?" he asked me, shaking his head. "My family and I hunt animals for our blood." Instantly, the puzzle pieces fell into place. There were still a few scattered pieces I didn't understand and I was sure that there was more to the puzzle but I was excited to understand.

I didn't only want to know more about the vampire side of him though. I wanted to know his likes, his dislikes, his age, his hobbies. Everything that was Edward, I was to know about. Ah, that was one desire I didn't want him to know about just yet.

"I've watched how you react around me. Your eyes turn a shade or two darker and then there's the first day. I was told that you had never reacted like that before even on your first day here. Then there was the way you acted yesterday morning because of my bandaged hand but you didn't even seem fazed when the other students were bleeding. Is it that difficult to be around me?" He looked down at his white, slender hands. Anger and despair wound itself around his eyes as he clenched and unclenched his eyes. Then he looked back up at me.

"My family and I are very good at what we do, resisting the temptation and mingling with the humans, but we're still dangerous. We try and are proud to call ourselves vegetarians but sometimes, we slip up and someone dies prematurely. Now, my self control is much better than most but if you'd tossed your hair over your shoulder one more time that first day in biology… let's just you might have gone missing," he muttered, eyeing me.

Ah. Did that mean his siblings…? What would've happened if it had been Emmett or Alice were the ones in Edward's place? Would I have been dead twice over? First from biology and then from the van if I'd somehow managed to survive biology. I looked at Edward with new appreciation in my eyes but, if I were so tempting, why was he here with me? What was I to him? It seemed not the place to bring up any of these questions.

"Were you and Emmett going hunting this weekend? You seem to be a bit thirsty," I said, bringing out an idler question from the blue as my other questions argued for dominance.

"Yes," he answered simply.

"Do you have preferences among the animals you hunt?"

"Yes. My favorite is the mountain lion. Emmett likes the grizzly."

"The whole sleeping in coffins thing is false right?" Please tell me it is.

"Of course," he paused briefly, "I can't sleep." My eyes went wide with wonder. No wonder he was able to come up to my room in the middle of the night. I nodded, accepting the new fact and continued my questions. I'd been waiting for my questions to be answered and I wasn't about to waste time while he was actually willing to answer.

"Now, I suppose you don't get burned by the sun do you? Even in Forks it'd be a frivolous risk to come to school if that was so."

"It's a myth but we still can't come out in the sun in public. My sister, Alice, sees the future. Or more specifically, she sees outcomes of decisions and decisions can change sometimes. Weather usually isn't subject to the changing of decisions though." My curiosity had been ignited with this little tidbit of information and I opened my mouth to ask more about this particularly intriguing subject matter but people began rising from the tables around me. Lunch was over and my questions died in my throat.

I had questions about if any of the rest of his family had special abilities. I had something else to ask about the sun too. If they didn't get burned but still couldn't come out in public in the sun, what really happened to them? I wanted to know but I hadn't even considered telling him my own secret at this point, trivial as it was in comparison.

Biology passed without incident or anything other than small talk and schoolwork passing between us. We were avoiding any and all conversation concerning vampires and whatnot. For one solitary hour, we were content to only be classmates and humans. Our thoughts consumed us with nothing to spare.

All too soon, biology was over and I trod off towards my doom, otherwise known as gym class. I dressed slowly in the locker room, wanting to put off the inevitable for as long as possible. Eventually, there was nothing left I could use to delay so with my head hanging slightly, I stepped out into the gym.

I was busy mentally preparing myself when Coach Clapp announced that we were playing basketball. Lady luck was favoring me today and I breathed profound relief. My hand had still not healed from Wednesday night's injury and I got to sit out. I sank gratefully into the bleachers and watched my classmates fumble around the court for the rest of the hour.

The end of the school day brought the weekend. I may have had plans for Saturday to have a bit of fun but I more wanted Monday to come around again. I would miss Edward. I always did when I couldn't see him. I wonder if he'd be happy or upset to know that. What would he say?

Out of nowhere, I felt someone blow on the back of my neck. My thoughts were scattered and I jumped and whirled around to face none other than Eric grinning cheekily at me.

"Got you, Bella," he said, seeming mightily pleased with himself with his hands boyishly held behind his back and his chest all puffed up. I grimaced and glanced helplessly at my truck which stood mockingly tall only 20 feet away. With no obvious means of escape, I turned my attention back to the chess club member.

"What's up, Eric?" I asked cautiously.

"I was thinking of trying to form a book club and I was wondering if you'd be interested. We could read the recent releases and discuss them or maybe go back to the classics…" His hope filled eyes searched mine expectantly. I wasn't interested. I didn't want to spend much time with him specifically outside of school and frankly the book club idea didn't seem like it would get off the ground. Maybe Karen would be interested though. She always had her nose in a book.

"Uh… I'm sorry, Eric but I don't think so. You should ask Karen. She'd probably enjoy it." Feeling the weight of guilt upon my shoulders, I turned to leave before he could say anything more to try and convince me. There wasn't much more I could say to him anyway.

Edward was waiting for me by my truck. As I approached, his angelic face was marred by an unhappy frown. Perhaps he'd heard the brief exchange between Eric and me. The idea was less than pleasing to me and I shrank ever so slightly as I stood in front of him.

"They are a little overeager aren't they…." he mused, his face slowly edging into slight anger. My heart fluttered. What was I to him? What did I want to be to him? I frowned as well and blew a puff of air out through my mouth.

"Hey Edward. Have fun hunting for me. Tell me about it when you get back?" I asked, morphing my face into one of teasing sincerity and enjoying how he seemed to disapprove of my words. It was like he wanted me to be uncomfortable talking about things like that. His disapproval only added to my fun.

"Sure. Just, you seem to be one of those people that attract trouble of all kinds like a magnet. So, promise me you'll at least try not to fall into the ocean or end up in the hospital for some reason." He grinned crookedly. I decided to be the mature one of us though and stuck my tongue out at him as I climbed into the cab of my truck.

"See you Monday?" I asked, narrowly restraining myself from responding to his taunt.

"Actually, it will be sunny on Monday and Tuesday so I may drop by your house," he said carefully, asking permission with his eyes. My heart fluttered again and I prayed that he couldn't hear it. He wanted to see me earlier than Wednesday? _Don't read so much into it, Bella. What reason could he have?_

"Will you be using the front door this time or are you sticking with my window?" I was quick to tease him as payback, eager to step away from my emotions. It didn't seem fair that he could jab at me and I couldn't do likewise. "I suppose when you're a big, bad vampire, it doesn't matter which."

"Be safe, Bella."

Then he was gone. I already couldn't wait for Monday to arrive.

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A/N:** It took a little longer than I'd anticipated to write this chapter but I figured you guys would more enjoy reading a thousand more words of the story than if I'd gotten it a day earlier. Talk to me. Believe it or not, I actually read what you guys have to say and I'd stolen a couple ideas and bits of insight from the reviews I've read. Anyway, if you'll excuse me I need to figure out how the heck I am going to get to the ending I want.


	16. Author's Note

**Author's Note**  
I had hoped I wouldn't have to post a silly author's note since by now, I have the chapter all typed up and ready to go online. However, there remains a problem.  
My computer has been a pain in the butt since internet exploder found out that it had a security compromise. I'm not saying I'm surprised about that though. Really, it would've happened one of these days and I thought it would happen sooner. Anyways, that incident messed up my computer despite the fact that I will not use internet explorer and would love to remove window's filthy software from my computer.

My brothers, my dad, and I have been working with it lately to restore it to the bug free way it used to be but our efforts were a little half hearted after I got rid of all the pop-ups and blatantly obvious stuff. Things had been going okay until a few days ago. My computer crashed on Friday and my computer's been complaining bitterly ever since. It won't upload anything at all from my computer anymore without crashing the web browser no matter which one I'm using. So, I'll work with it a little bit more. If I can kick the decrepit old beast back into gear, we'll be golden. Meanwhile, I'm going to see about using my linux. I don't know. I'll figure it out.

Till then, Clarissa.

EDIT: Finally! I managed to hijack a friend's computer to edit this note. My computer is officially toasted.  
It rolled over and died not a week after I originally posted this. Just stopped and wouldn't boot up again. I can't say we were surprised. It was terminally virused along with being ancient. It was at the point where we could no longer change the desktop without it getting confused and freezing that process. Anyway, Dad tried some things to see if he could get my settings back but it's old and didn't have much space so it refused to install Vista as a temporary fix. I don't know what all he did but all we could salvage was a few of my files.

In the end, we're getting a new computer and it should hopefully be here within the next week or so. I'm so excited.  
I don't know how many people will get a chance to read this between now and then but still... Eek. Gotta go.  
Bye bye, all.


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